He Doesn't Speak Goo-goo
by Luciana.is.mename
Summary: Ryūk was summoned back to the Shinigami realm by their leader and had to take his Death Note as he left. This was fine by Light, what wasn't fine by the Yagami was the consequences that thereafter followed. Cast under a curse, his body transformed into that of an 4-year-old, with not much of his memories. The Task Force now get their hands full trying to keep it secret.
1. Happened Too Fast

Summary

Ryūk was summoned back to the Shinigami realm by their leader and had to take back his Death Note as he left. This was fine by Light, what wasn't fine by the Yagami was the consequences that thereafter followed. Cast under a curse, his body transforms into that of an four-year-old, snatching good years of growth off him. The Kira Task Force now get their hands full trying to keep it secret. (Fluff)

(Goo-goo)

(Ba-ba)

'Uhhh, Light-o?'

No response.

Of course, the genius kid couldn't start speaking to him, the pale guy eating sweets, watching them and pressing those big buttons would lock them up for life, and probably get him a death sentence. Ryūk scratched his chin. Oh, well.

'Thing is, I gotta go back, the old man's summoned us all back to the realm, me, Rem and our Notes. All my Notes, in my case.'

Light Yagami blinked slowly.

'See, thing is, he's pretty pissed off with us being down here on the Earth, breaking the rules and all - I was supposed to kill you after thirty days, but I couldn't,' he explained. Light nonchalantly turned his head to the side. 'You know? You're really entertaining and have many tasty apples.. the ones back in Shinigami realm taste real worse.'

Light leaned back on the wall, gazing at him in a tired manner.

'But I don't wanna be turned into ashes, like that other guy: Julius - Ginos (or was it Genus?), so I'll be going - Rem already left. Old boss hates tardy people,' he said. 'I'll watch you from up there though, you're fun, and maybe I'll come down sometimes when it's too boring up there. I've never really listened to the old man, after all. Kid. Our paths break apart here.'

Light closes his eyes as the creature morphed through the walls. A soft sigh escaping through his nose.

'Oh, and be careful,' Ryūk's voice echoed, "the old guy is pretty crabby these days, he might curse you just-'

Those were the last words Japan's top student heard before his world went swirling into dark.

...

'What's happening?' L murmured, to no one in particular. His hand reached forward, clicking a button.

On screen, Light Yagami's head (of considerably lengthy hair) had suddenly slacked, his eyes rolling back lifelessly like a doll's. The air around them seemed to thrum with energy, then Light began glowing faintly. It was over in a moment, though, and the task force was left blinking stupidly at the screens. On screen, Light Yagami had begun shrinking, the clothes on him seeming to grow bigger. L's jaw fell open, his dry insomniac eyes widening even further.

Impossible.

'Ryūzaki?' Aizawa grumbled out, his tone faint.

Had he taken too long without resting? Was he hallucinating? L couldn't recall ever hallucinating in his whole life, though, and the other force members were also just as shocked as he was. L leaned back into the chair and allowed his legs to slide his feet to the ground, he sat there like that for a while, not thinking - for once. But he reached a conclusion rather quickly, there was no use doing things that wouldn't change anything.

Then, he rose to his feet, pulled out his cellphone, dailed Watari while making for the prison - er, containment cells and stuffed the packet of cookies in his pocket. This was something beyond the current scientific explanations available. He had never experienced magical things, after all. Chief Yagami also had to be alerted to the fact that his prized son had turned into a sleeping toddler with drool dribbling down his chin. Perhaps he had an explanation.. you know family culture, or something, to why it happened.

Had their son invoked a spirit's anger?

...

Pale eyelids flew open, lids blinking at the light, the thick, dirt-coloured lashes seeming to weigh the lids down and slow the blinks to a sleepy stir. L, who had been hovering over the shrunken Light Yagami closest, blinked with surprise at the eye colour - it appeared to be almost a deep orange (no doubts a colour that had darkened naturally with age). Tiny brows furrowed together, two tiny hands reaching up the rub at a pair of attractive eyes. That would also explain the blonde hair, several blonde children's hair darkened as they grew older.

When Light finally woke up, he settled his mouth into a pout - a poor imitation of his older and more professional serious mask - his eyes squinting suspiciously at them, and eyebrows frowning. L was tempted to snort at the adorable site, this was just too much - no wonder everyone just loved him. The boy sat up straight, his hair - which had fell back in his laying position, falling neatly into that usual neat style of his (L added a .6 to his Kira percentage. It wasn't logical how his hair could be so mess yet neat at the same time, not logical. At all.), and crossed his arms.

'Where am I? And who are you people?' he demanded.

L scuttled back to survey the somehow-de-aged-Light-kun. Impressive, L had almost thought he would begin speaking baby Japanese, or act like a regular kid and do something childish. Like cry. His tough act only had one flaw - his voice was weak with fright. This was, obviously, a predictable reaction for any child who would wake up in the presence of grown up strangers, but... L would have narrowed his eyes. But. 'Light-kun.' There was a possibility it was all an act.

He hummed, not looking up, reluctant to be polite to the stranger.

'Don't you know who I am?'

The kid looked up at the question and squinted at him a bit - the lights were too bright, apparently. 'No. But I am warning you, my dad is a policeman, he'll come get me from you soon,' he said in a matter-of-fact-edly way, glaring at him. 'You shall regret having ever kidnapped me, Foreign Sir.'

Aizawa snorted and touched his chin. 'This brings back memories,' he commented. 'Kid was obsessed with the Chief.'

Light's head snapped up at the voice, he lifted his hands to shield his eyes from the white lights and blinked. 'Uncle Aizawa?' he gaped.

The man preened. 'In the flesh, Rai-chan,' he said, quite pleased he wasn't forgotten.

L blinked, Rai-chan? But he soon looked down when something stepped on his (unfortunately) bare toes, the kid had scrambled off the chair to attach himself to Aizawa's pant leg. 'Light-kun, do you know what happened?' L asked. 'Any clues? This is important.'

'I do not know,' he scowled, glaring fiercely at the detective. 'I want to go home.'

'That will not be possible, Light-kun,' L stated, making the boy growl at him.

Behind Matsuda, Chief Yagami slowly stepped forward, his head shaking disbelievingly. 'I must be stuck in some dream. This is impossible. Raito as Rai-chan?'

Light's eyes widened for a second before he scampered forward, the oversized shirt's sleeves obstructing his hands. Which he clenched exitedly at his sides and began exclaiming. 'Father! You're here! There's this weird man standing there,' he informed his father. Adding, with a cautious whisper, 'Is he a bad guy? He sure looks like one to me. And he is unhealthy! He looks like as if he doesn't sleep - I am quite certain he doesn't. And he has huge monkey toes. He doesn't comb his hair, too, I bet his mother scolds his all the time! Mama would, if he were my brother.'

The Chief chuckled uneasily, watching Ryūzaki with a wary eye. He was about to reprimand Light, but when he glanced down at his son, all flushed cheeks, ruffled hair, merry laugh lines (18-year-old Light didn't have even the slightest of healthy laugh lines, something that worried his wife a lot), and big adoring eyes, the Yagami reached down and patted his light hair with a fond smile. 'He isn't a bad guy, Rai-chan, in fact he is the greatest good-guy in the world. He's the world's greatest detective.'

The boy's eyes gleamed. 'Detective?' he repeated. 'Like Encyclopedia Brown? Cam? Inspector Gadget?' he breathed, his eyes scanning the room more interestedly.

L watched curiously as the short three? year old walked up to him and bowed, bright eyes overflowing with questions.

'Hello. My name is Yagami Raito. I just turned four years old,' he declared proudly. L raised a brow, four? with such a height? 'And I'll become a policeman like my father.'

L, not knowing what to do, shrugged down at him dismissively, making Watari shatk his head with exasperation. Everyone waited for Light to continue. Which he wasn't doing, instead, he was frowning. Suddenly he looked up and pouted. 'I'm hungry,' he whined.

'Raito usually became quite fussy whenever he was hungry at this age,' Soichiro said, brows lifting panickedly.

As the chief stepped forward they were all thinking one thing: I still haven't completely grasped the reality of the situation.

Expect the next Chapter on Saturday. I'll do better, hopefully.


	2. Rambling Cuddler

Detectives and Oatmeal Porridge

L stood, slouched over, and observed the building's current most interesting object. He had currently stopped observing Amane - he'd decided to simply put her in surveilled quarters, Watari watched her in his place (he'd watch the recorded videos some other time, but it seemed unlikely that Kira would pop out again with Light-kun in such a dilemma). The pale detective decided he'd try to figure out what had turned his most formidable foe into a four year-old kid with tiny hands, tiny feet, short, pudgy limbs, small ears, heck, even his teeth were miniscule!

Maybe he got cursed?

L huffed quietly, ha, the Chief's nationally-prized son cursed? That would serve him right, tch, the brat (literally) had killed many of the great criminals he had been slowly catching - like Bin Laden. Or maybe it was the consequences for being too.. too..? L shrugged, he'd think over the matter when he'd have gathered more information. Right now he wanted to contemplate the kid's eating habits.

There was nothing wrong with it, see, but, it, it.. it was something L had never observed before. Especially with the sort of "evolution" mankind had taken this century (you know, lack of manners and tact was very common these days). Though he had read books about it, he had never actually seen it personally. And L would easily admit (if anyone asked him) that it was impressive - in his standards.

His back was straight and he handled the chopsticks like a professional, in the traditional way, even as he ate, his back never wavered, he steadily brought every bite up to his mouth. It looked natural, which, he was convinced, was the case. Back home in England, the kids were more carefree and gently raised - the elders at Whammy had few rules, which all had nothing to do with manner (which usually resulted with many slouching, ground-friendly children), mainly because they wanted to make the genii feel comfortable. Light was a strange combination, in deed, he was as perfect as a toddler could be. The only fault was that Light-kun was humming the tune of If-You're-Happy-and-You-Know-It, something that had made Mastuda grin like an imp and bob his head.

L had to remind himself that the little criminal might be lying. He'd just used his Kira powers. . abilities, abilities, he was more comfortable with that word. Yes. He had used his abilities to transform into a more chubby faced version of himself with hair and eyes of an angel. L's lips turned down. He wouldn't fall for Kira's schemes though, unlike the rest of force - he'd even made the sour Aizawa crouch and smile to try and please him. Aizawa.

'Light-kun is considerably reserved for someone his age, Chief,' L remarked. Making the boy's head swivel round to stare at him suspiciously, eyes pinched up, L blinked: Ok, what was it now? Younger Light, or (as everyone addressed him) Rai-chan, had taken quite a disliking to him. Something he couldn't hide quite as well as his older self, not that he even bothered, kids seemed quite vocally frank with such matters. A comfortable difference from the masks he wore in his older body.

'Ah, yes,' Yagami said, as though reminiscing. 'He has always been like this, even though Sachiko and I never pressured or stressed proper manner. It's quite the wonder.'

The little rascal grinned brightly, brightening the mood round in the room. Except L, who immediately soured at the brat's embarrassed, yet pleased countenance. Who wouldn't? Especially right after Kira slipped right through his fingers (or handcuffs, in his particular case), and was now playing the clueless child.

A child that was Not (with a capital letter because he was most certainly not) cute in any way. Which kind of normal child ate up their vegetables first? The sort that wasn't cute. Period.

'But Light was quite the strange kid, Chief. I used to struggle whenever I babysat him,' Aizawa remarked.

'I dunno about that,' Matsuda interpolated. 'Raito was a sweet boy, liked helping others and loved coming to the station with Yagami-san.'

L would have liked to ponder over the extents of Kira's powers - something mouth-watering for any scientist - but he was quite angry that Light had once again thrown his plans into jeopardy. He was barely even paying attention to their words.

'You should stand better, Sir Detective,' a little voice informed him. L looked down at the boy, who had finished eating and was standing in front of him with its small arms crossed wisely.

L was sorely tempted to crouch down completely. The kid craning his neck impressively had not a thing to do with it, too.

Light hesitated when those grey eyes settled on him. The detective's look was unsettling! It made him feel as though he'd committed a heavy crime he wanted to confess. So he decided he would help him out, not helping people in need was a crime in his books. Something he was glad to set straight. So he said, 'Your backbone will curve up if you don't, and that would not be good for your body.'

Chief Yagami stepped forward and ruffled his hair. 'Rai-chan, don't poke your nose around too much.'

'I assure you I am in good health, Light-kun,' he replied.

The boy frowned uncertainly for a while before letting it go and turning to tug his father's hand. 'Let's go, I do not like this place, father. Or the detective,' he said, shuffling closer until he was standing beneath the hand, shoulder pressed into Yagami's side.

L could relate. But he never really knew what Light didn't like about him. 'What is it that you don't like in me Light-kun?'

'You are mean,' he said in a concluding manner. Adding a little huff. 'Hmph. Saying I had to stay here. And you do not look as great as my dad said you were. And you look like those people my mom told me to avoid - you're.. you're,' he paused, licking his lips and trying to find the correct word. 'Cleepy, yes, cleepy. Like that killer my dad captured on Friday.'

Mastuda seemed horrified. Aizawa looked as though he wanted to smile and palm his face at the same time. The Chief nearly sputtered.

'And your house is like a prison, too, you need fresh air for your lungs,' he continued not in the least deterred. 'Or your blood will stop working. And-'

'Raito,' Soichiro reprimanded. Making his son halt, looking quite remorsed. 'You are quite mistaken, son, Ryūzaki is respected by policemen and criminals fear him.'

L and Light both noticed he didn't contradict his other phrases, making Light know he was right in some aspects (a grin spreading on his face, untamed) and L deadpan even more. He was not "cleepy," maybe if the kid had said "creepy" L might have considered his little "And, And" speech.

'He's a Chief like you?' Light asked. That was something he admired - his father was one, after all.

'Curiosity killed the cat, Light,' L muttered in English.

The Chief, knowing that patience is the key with children, was ever so calm. 'No, he is a private detective, he doesn't collaborate with any particular agency.'

He set his hand on his chin and looked up and away, thinking, his mouth opening slightly. L was convinced he was figuring out the meaning of some words his father had just used. But the kid could at least close his mouth, L could spot drool filling his mouth, it could spill over any time now.

He then finally decided to say. 'My father is the Chief of the NPA, Sir Detective.'

He was once again in front of L. 'I know,' he replied, turning around dismissively and sitting on the sofa. Ugh, he was tired of this.

'He also solves cases, like a detective.' His tone said "Chief of NPA is more impressive than a detective."

'That is pretty much general knowledge,' L said, pulling the packet of treats from his pocket. 'I don't need you to repeat that to me.'

He was expecting a reply, but Light failed to answer, and L, surprised he didn't get any, looked up from his snacks. Light had stilled and was looking at his treats with shimmering eyes, L looked away. That's dangerous, he thought. Dangerous. This was his first time interacting with a child below nine years-old. Did they all have such huge eyes?

'Sir Detective?' His tone was cautious.

L looked up instinctively, inwardly shrinking when he met the kid's eyes. The question was already gleaming in them, but there was no way L was sharing his chocky-bickies with the brat. They were his, no way he was sharing. No way on Earth. No way at all.

'Please may I have one?' Light asked.

Didn't Light dislike sweets? and wasn't he the "mean guy" a few seconds ago?

Aizawa elbowed Mastuda, whispering in vain: 'Watch this.' because everyone heard his whisper.

'No,' L replied. The brat wasn't getting anything from him. Watari had specially ordered these biscuits from England. For HIM. Light was never considered.

His mouth turned down sadly. L had difficulties convincing himself that the boy was acting. I mean, only a monster would think that in the face of a child.

'Just one, please?'

'I don't share with my enemies, Light-kun.'

He ignored the Chief's frantic, warning gaze. He wasn't scared of a brat.

'Please?'

L looked away when his resolve started relenting, his eyes easily gliding to the side, but he was surprised to notice his hand holding a chocolate cookie out to the kid. So he spoke, 'I'll give you one only if you stop looking at me like as if I killed your puppy.'

He took the biscuit with a smile before attempting to sneer. L deadpanned - maybe his cheeks were too heavy for the sneer to work, because that sneer was just adorable. Wait, no, it wasn't, it was ugly - a movie director would have had him arrested for such a poor attempt.

'I wouldn't get a puppy, I prefer cats,' he said. 'So your words were useless, Sir Detective.'

L looked as though he wanted to roll his eyes.

'But how come you didn't know that?' he demanded suspiciously and forcefully. 'Detectives always figure things out about other people. Are you really one?'

'I have a spyglass, Light,' he sniped. 'And I can uncover fingerprints. Happy?'

The boy took a careful, small bite from the cookie (He didn't drop any crumbs, L observed.) and climbed onto the sofa, settling in beside him. 'No. My dad can do that also,' he said, unimpressed and staring up at him with huge eyes.

Watari walked in, stifling a smile at the sight of L, who looked frustrated, sitting beside a curious kid.

L didn't notice anything except for one thought: Don't get all chummy with me Brat.

The task force had, mercifully, dismissed themselves to their quarters, with Watari who had just walked in to guide them away. Leaving L with the chance to kill the boy, why had he thought he was well mannered again? The brat was not well mannered at all. 'I can shoot my targets perfectly,' he said, in an attempt to awe him into silence. 'That's something only detectives can do.'

'No, that is wrong, Mastuda-san passed the police exams this year, Father said he shot 250 out of 250 targets bullseye, and 100 of them were moving targets.'

That was something L was well-aware of. 'Oh? I didn't know, Light-kun.'

The boy smiled at him, his eyes warm and friendly, L sourly noticed that the boy's fondness for him was growing. The more he looked at him, the more he wanted to smile happily (God forbid) with him. It was like an infectious disease. L also suddenly felt like pinching his cheeks or ruffling his head of blonde hair. He was cute. L had to admit it. Very cute. He wondered briefly if this was like having a small brother.

If Light was his small brother L would prance around with him, just to show off what a cute sibling he had. L blinked at that sudden thought.

'May I have another?'

L blinked, quite confused, what? He didn't fail to notice that the boy used "May I" instead of "Can I" like many kids had the bad habit of saying. He looked at Light. The boy was looking eagerly at the package still in his hand. **Oh** **_no_**. No. No, no. 'No, Light, there's only one left. And it's mine. Mine alone.'

He looked away sadly. Making L feel remorseful. L glared at him (not that anyone could even tell the difference if they tried to).

The boy huffed and crossed his arms. 'I'm bored.'

So he was attempting to act nonchalant, L could read him like a book. Which made him feel worse. Somehow. 'I can't say I'm sorry about that, but you'll have to live with it.'

'Don't you have any books?'

'Books?'

He nodded. 'Tousan reads to me when he's home.'

'I'll not read to you, Light-kun.'

The boy's eyes turned to look at him. 'I was going to ask Tousan to read to me. Not you. You probly don't know how to make stories fun, or read. I probly could read better by myself ayways,' he said, mispronouncing several words.

L didn't know what was wrong with him, but the kid riled him up just as much as his older self did. 'I can read fluently in over twenty-one different languages Light-kun. And Japanese is only one of them.'

Light was impressed, temporarily forgetting his earlier demand. 'Woah, really?! That is very nice, Sir Detective.'

L felt his chest swell up by itself. There was just something awesome about impressing children. L placed the whole cookie in his mouth. 'Say, Light-kun, how many languages do you know?' Older Light knew 13 languages fluently, and five more (but those were quite rusty), a fact the boy was secretly proud of. L knew over forty seven languages. Fluently. So that wasn't impressive.

'I speak Thai, from one of my neighbours, and French from Madame Rosier, the library lady,' he sat up straighter. 'My mom also speaks English with me at home, my mother's mother,' he giggled ridiculously at that, 'Is from Eye-land, and they speak English.'

Eyeland? L could have smacked his forehead. If older Light could see himself right now. 'Ireland, you mean to say.'

He beamed. 'Yes! How did you know?'

'I'm a detective,' he said, feeling the need to make sure the brat understood that.

'My dad-'

'Don't start with tales on your dad, I know quite a lot about the Chief already,' he interrupted impatiently.

...

'It's natural, Ryūzaki,' Watari said. 'Yagami is his hero, of course he'll take every chance he has to lower your rank. Especially after the Chief praised you.'

'He was one queer thing.'

'He's a child, L. You need patience with those.'

'Maybe it is just one of his plans, Watari.' L groused, watching the boy. 'I wonder how he turned into this.'

'You could ask him when he turns back.'

Light sighed happily.

'If he turns back.'

Watari sighed. 'You do know that either way, the child would get restless staying in the building right.'

'I'm not letting the Kira suspect out of my sight.'

'I know.'

'And people might inquire after him,' he stated. 'We can't let anyone know what happened.'

'I'll be leaving now,' Watari said, standing up. 'Children need a lot of necessities, some shopping is due.'

'You just like taking care of kids.'

Watari smiled. 'I admit, I do have a soft spot for children. Especially the genii kids.'

'Smarty-pants, you mean.'

'Considering Light's Yagami IQ is higher than yours, you can call him that.'

L watched him leave before turning back to the suspect, who was sleeping without a care in the world. Peacefully. L felt envious for a moment. But it was soon replaced with something akin to endearment, I mean, who wouldn't? staring at an absolutely cute child sleep. It was something inexinexplicably sweet and different for everyone. It briefly made him wish Light was his son.

He would be the envy of all parents, L smirked. I bet Mrs Yagami had been so. Grey eyes soon turned back to the boy.

He had forgone resting his head on the pillow and was instead clutching it lovingly. L wasn't sure the sentiment was returned to him by the object - he was drooling on the clean pillow. The slight curls at the corners of his mouth gave off the impression of smiling. Tch, he was probably dreaming of detective unicorns or something, L thought. A sour side of L contemplated putting him back in the cell, just to see how he'd like to sleep in the room. We'll see who was slumbering like an angel in the clouds. But he decided he preferred the blissful expression on his face. It was absolutely charming.

L felt convinced he would have melted if he was a slab of butter.

...

Light looked at his breakfast. Looked at Ryūzaki - as he was informed his name was. Looked back at it. And repeated process.

'Where is Tousan?' he demanded. Feeling quite lonely.

'I gave them a holiday. I think I can manage to keep mini-Kira under my own surveillance.'

'Kira?' he scowled.

'Why are you trying to turn your mouth into a rosebud?' L asked, forking a generous piece of cake into his mouth. 'It isn't attractive.'

His eyebrows dropped angrily. 'Do not call me that.'

'What? Kira?'

He deflated. The kids at school sometimes called him that, along with a few other bright names. 'Yes.'

L blinked at the sombre mood he had taken. 'Ok, but you had better eat that.'

Light looked at the huge bowl of a strange sticky soup. 'What is it?'

'Oatmeal, very tasty, common breakfast,' L replied, cutting himself another slice of cake. Light eyed it with disdain. Ahh, there was the familiar dislike of sweets. 'It is also one of the only things I can cook.'

'Why are you eating cake for breakfast?' Light asked. 'Breakfast is the most inpo... important meal of the day. You need all the vitamins that is in normal food. Not cake.'

'There's plenty of that in it. Eat your breakfast.'

The boy complied, looking at the foreign breakfast warily. L cautiously watched as Light clenched the huge spoon, dipped the spoon in and pulled out a huge glob of oatmeal, which, as predicted, he couldn't fit in his mouth, and chewed. 'It's yucky.'

'I know,' L responded unfeelingly.

Light opened his mouth and hesitated for a bit, he was unsure of his next phrase. 'May I add in sugar?'

'Yes,' L waved his hand. 'Most prefer honey, though.'

His nose scrunched up. 'I don't like honey it's watery.'

'I know.'

'But I like sugar, it is different.'

L stood up and began dumping spoons of sugar into his bowl. So that he could start eating and leave him alone. He roughly mixed the sugar in and sat back down. 'Just eat, ok?'

Light, pleased with the sweetness, began eating, slowly dragging the spoon across the top, it was too hot. 'Hotmeal is a weird porredge,' he said, blowing on the spoon. 'But I like it.'

L gazed at him unflatteringly. 'It's oatmeal, not hotmeal. And porridge, not porredge.' He didn't find those pronunciation mistakes cute at all. Nope.

'Oh, thank you, I made a mistake,' he said. Then, scooting closer to him, the boy peered at the laptop computer on the table. 'What are you doing?'

'None of your business.' He scooted away, trying to ward off the boy with an unnerving glare. Dammit I'm not a comforter!

L flinched when he butted his arm over his head with his brow and peered at the screen closer. The contact was too sudden, he wasn't one for such warm gestures. 'Boring, don't you know how to use a computer? The lady on the computer is only painting her nails.'

'If you were expecting games, then I'm not sorry to disappoint you, I hate computer games.'

'I thought you would be talking to someone, my mother always lets me see grandad on the computer. That is fun, never boring. He tells me about the war,' he explained.

L didn't fail to notice that the boy had somehow eased his leg down to use it as a table for his bowl of oatmeal. The bottom was hot, kid! L wanted to reprimand him, but he looked so happy with everything that the cold detective didn't want to ruin the brightness in his eyes.

'His uncle was a kamikaze soldier!'

His head was now tucked beneath his arm. L blinked slowly, something that was highly unnecessary because his eyes were a bit dry and blinking didn't help. At all. But he had had enough with the kid, making him feel all chummy with everything. 'Kid. Remove yourself and food from my lap, I am not a table, or your pillow.'

He didn't budge. 'Unless you let me see Tousan and Kāsan, then I'll move, and Baby Sayu. I want to see Baby Sayu specially,' he bargained. Then, forgetting his bargain he said, 'I'm a big brother, Sir Detective.'

L wanted to shove his head into his breakfast, just to see how he liked the heat (but that would burn his face, and that would hassle him more than the contact-friendly boy trying to comfort himself). 'I know. Now will you move?'

He craned his head, resting back on L's chest,'Not until you say yes.'

How did Light turn from this strange friendly (mean little rascal of a) child into a calculating, scheming Kira? 'I won't.'

'Then I won't move. I like it like this,' he concluded. 'But Detective-san doesn't seem to want my cheering up.'

'Cheering up?' L repeated, closing the window onscreen when Misa began pulling off her shirt.

'You are tired. I am trying to help. Mother gives me a hug and kiss when I am sad,' he said wisely, closing heavy eyelids. 'But I wouldn't kiss you, you're a thin meany, but you don't smile, mother says I should always help people smile. Like Baby Sayu,' he smiled dreamily, 'now she's smiling more than when she was all pink and folded with no hair. And she is beautiful, I like her hair, it is so black like, like.. a pretty cat's hair?'

L blinked, again as the boy rambled on (if this continued, he'll become sleepy). He looked tired? And didn't smile? Well, of course, L avoided sleeping and saw no use in displaying emotion.

'But you really need to comb your hair. Mother said if you don't comb your, baby rats will form in your hair.'

'That's ridiculous.'

Light, surprised out of his rant, let go of the bowl, which slid off his leg and landed with a "tap" on the sofa, the boys eyes widened to the size of daisies. L's eyes watered instinctively when the porridge spilled out and pooled on the seat.

Light, wisely, scampered away (L couldn't help but sourly notice that he ate the oatmeal left on the spoon, cheeky brat), an apology lingering behind him.

L slowly stood up, luckily the jeans had absorbed some of the porridge's heat. But. But.

His rump was burnt! How was he going to seat himself anymore?

That kid was dead. So dead. L didn't care if he had a baby face and cute giggle that would haunt him later. He was going to strangle the kid till he was blue then drown him in a tub of hot water.

'Light Yagami!'

Blonde hair ducked behind a sofa.

...

I know it's crappy, help me improve by commenting, my only friend isn't very helpful. Light's day has only begun, too. I'm trying to portray him as a soft-tempered child who changes moods easily.


	3. Short Two Hours

Thank you for the reviews, everyone.

Light drooped his lips turning down, his fingers fiddling with the hem of the Sailor Moon-themed shirt Watari had purchased for him. 'I'm sorry.'

L glared at the kid (not that the difference was even visible). 'Is that all you are saying to excuse yourself?'

Light tilted his head and stared up at him, nodding affirmatively, his chin pushed up remorsefully. L uselessly tried to think of drowning the boy again, the bath downstairs was big enough. But it was hard, with the way the kid was staring at him. L began even wondering if it wasn't his own fault after all, forcing himself to not ruffle the tempting blonde hair reassuringly. 'Thank your lucky coins most of the heat was absorbed by the material of my jeans, Light-kun.'

Light beamed. 'You forgive me?'

L stared at him quietly, feeling cheated. He only let him go because the burns weren't serious.

Light's smile shrivelled off his face with a blink at L's stare. 'I am really sorry, Ryūzaki-san. It was an accident.'

L's thin lips thinned even more severely. He could have bet that the boy only apologised because he was cornered. Literally. The backstabbing little charmer.

'Ryūzaki! You aren't gobbling cake, what a pleasant surprise.'

A smile spread across the boy's face a second before he ran around L and scampered over to Watari. L also turned around and slouched over to the duo. Light was beaming at Watari, who had ruffled his hair and given him a thick picture book labeled The Wizard of Oz.

I hope that wasn't bought from my money, L groused silently. Knowing Watari, though, the chances were slim. He had already spent plenty over the spoilt Yagami, what with purchasing the latest cameras for surveillance and building a building. But then again, I had told Watari that I would exclusively pay every pound expended on the Kira Case.

'I hope you fed him, Ryūzaki,' Watari said.

'He did,' Light intervened, proudly. L wanted to roll his eyes, but they were quite sore from lack of sleep, so he huffed silently - the kid didn't have to sound so satisfied with himself; I am the one who cooked it.

'It was a sticky mush called oatmeal, Watari-san.' He gestured vividly, forming imaginary images. 'It needed a lo-ot of sugar though-'

L could personally agree with that.

'-and it was hot-'

L interrupted. 'And he spilt it all over me, Watari.'

'That means you didn't get a full breakfast,' Watari wisely concluded, totally ignoring L's complaint.

'I hope it is not a foreign breakfast, Ji-san,' Light said, grabbing Watari's hand an eager smile on his face.

'What about my burns, Watari?' L complained, still in his monotonous manner of speaking.

Watari waved his hand dismissively, 'Go put on some wet towels or something, I need to get Light a proper breakfast.'

Why did this happen whenever Watari got himself another kid to take care of? L stared after them jealously. Until Light asked Watari, 'May Ryūzaki come too? He looks really sad.'

L felt his face grow clammy with embarrassment when Watari laughed at him, ruffling the boy's hair (Why did all old Englishmen have a fascination with ruffling boy's hair? The kid's hair will fall out at this rate! Not that L cared or anything - it would distress the Chief though.) L's hunched head and shoulders sagged even more.

Why did the boy get a treat in the place of a scolding (or drowning?)

L suspected taht this little Kira was an extremely spoilt kid.

...

'Well,' Soichiro said, chuckling. 'I am afraid we are to blame for that.'

L's half-mast eyelids lowered again, his eyes sliding to where Light was watching Aladdin with the other force members. Really? 'How is that, Chief? He is clingy, bipolar, annoying, and spo-'

'Spoilt, yes, I know,' he sighed. 'My wife and I spoilt our children, I am afraid, and for the clinging - well, both my son and daughter were like that. Seeking attention, hugs, but you know what they say about children and hugs..'

He had muttered that last bit. 'Rai-chan quickly grew out of it, though I think peer pressure had something to do with it.'

'So your son right now is like that Hug Trader in Angry Birds?' L deadpanned, the chief nodded (L wondering how he still looked so wise). 'That is a dangerous trait.'

'Not really, he is like that only towards people he likes, but then again, Light made friends with anyone who'd give him a chance, children are the best things about the world.'

'With his attitude?' L asked, eyes almost aghast. 'And speech? Sounds too grown up for his age, don't kids isolate weirdos like him?'

The Chief was about to answer when..

'Can yo fuwend du dis?!'

They both glanced at the group when Mastuda abruptly began singing along with the Genie of the Lamp. Light exploding into peals of childish laughter at his imitation of the song. L wondered again how he made it up the ranks until he was working directly under the Chief. Said Chief dropped his head into his palm.

'It's like they're desperate for a distraction from the Kira Case and are all pleased with Raichan's sudden transformation... speaking of,' he turned to L, 'Ryuuzaki? Do you know what caused this? My son's-'

'You ain't never had a friend like me!'

'Look,' L cheered lamely, desperate for a change of subject. 'They're singing.'

He hated not knowing the answer to something bad enough already, but now admitting it? He wouldn't do that so easily, especially when he himself wanted to know the answer just as bad. Luckily the police officer bought it.

'Makes one wish to join,' the Chief sighed fondly.

L blinked, I know, right? With Light laughing infectiously and clapping his hands, L had the sudden and stupid urge to grin and start singing. Too bad I have a bad voice. 'Not me, I would scorn to do something so mind numbing,' he denied.

'A'addin is silly,' Light piped up.

What in the world happened to the criminal case? L was not fond of all this savage jeopardization of his lifestyle. First the boy (older version, please) forces him out of the shadows (where he enjoyed life) so he could gain information on his suspect and now he is obliged to babysit him when he transforms into a child? Second, the boy was easily distracting everyone and usurping his power over the Task Force into his own chubby fingers. He even had Mogi speaking up more!

L was going to find a solution to this. No matter what, because he wasn't sure he could live with a child. A child (he glared at the merry group of spectators) who was using his working office as a playground, a child filled with stupidity (that was contagious, you know, just look how many people have failed classes because their friend did. L didn't want to become a clingy fat-cheeked stupid detective.) and hugs.

He was going to fix this.

...

'What is it, Light-kun?' L muttered, hoping the boy would go away.

The kid frowned curiously, not budging.

L peered down at the boy - who had lifted his arms in an outstretched manner, staring at him expectantly - and blinked owlishly. What was it now? Did he want to brush his teeth? Or did he want more sweets (the kid was getting too spoilt).

'Up,' Light clarified, miffed that the "great detective" didn't know what he wanted.

L looked up. 'The ceiling's just fine, Light-kun.'

Light's jaw slacked slightly for a short disbelieving moment before he lifted his aching arms higher and said once more. 'Up, Ryūzaki-san.'

'Oh.. For the child's sake, he wants to be carried,' Aizawa chided. 'It's universal language, Ryūzaki, even a Russian would understand what he wants.'

L looked down at Light, who smiled slightly and gestured again. L's eyes rolled back up immediately and said, dismissively, 'No.' Stepped around him and slouched away. Intent on getting to his computer.

Light scowled and crossed his hands. That always worked! People always carried him if he asked! Light was tired of using his legs and was tempted to just plop down to the ground and rest his legs, but that was not elegant at all. The boy stuck his tongue out at L's hunched form, it's not like as if he specifically wanted L to carry him, he had wanted his dad to carry him (but Tousan was cast under a witch's spell that gave him white hair [his back might crack, like Grandad's]), in the first place. That was why he had asked him.

Well he also wanted to see if he was strong, surely, someone so pale couldn't carry a child.

So Light ambled over to Aizawa, who easily grabbed him and put him on his shoulders (Light delightfully grabbing his fascinating hair).

'Hey, Chief?' Aizawa said suddenly. Light waved at his father. 'I wonder if Light could meet my daughter..'

'That won't be possible,' L cut in. 'We can't let anyone know about "Raichan" so going out is out of question.'

He was a bit sour over the fact that Light hadn't even tried insisting he be carried again and gazed at the grinning pair with his unnerving eyes.

'I can't go out?' Light repeated slowly, before scowling at L with eyes that said he didn't like that.

L couldn't help retorting.'What are you going to do about it?' he mocked.

'I will go out,' he insisted clearly. 'I want to see Madame again and see the blossoms.'

'Hah, we'll see about that.'

Author's Note

Sorry if it's such bad quality, I'm still a bit sour over the results of my exams and couldn't type anything without becoming all depressed. I have a list of fun and cute scenarios I want to type, but I couldn't, every try was too half hearted and not what I wanted. I did not want to publish crappy depressed stuff. This will have to do for now.


	4. Swarthy In Deed

L stopped typing when more poorly concealed laughter burst from Light. He was quite exasperated, this had been going on for a full minute now. L glanced down at Light, who had crawled under the table and was giggling at something from below the table. L could easily see, with the aide of the glass tabletop, that that thing was him. Whatever Light found so funny about him was beyond his knowledge and the way Mastuda kept on concealing smiles was annoying (didn't he give them a day off? or didn't they have anything else better to do apart skim old Kira notes and coddle "Rai-chan?"). L looked to the side, he must be going stupid if he had the time to snark at his own Task members.

L glanced back at the screen.

Light's laughter creeped mirthfully into the air, again.

He tried not to squirm.

Light laughed, with a, sticky (L was convinced), hand covering his mouth, L figured, from the sound. And the laughter didn't halt this time around as it usually did.

Ok. That was it. L set his laptop down on Light's head (why was there a glass protecting him again?) and glared at the head propped up on two chubby hands.

'Light-kun,' he said, the usual honorific slipping out without conscious control.

The boy glared at him, quite displeased that his entertainment was cut short.

'What is it, pray tell,' L continued, his voice a deep monotone that spoke of irritation. 'That you find so funny.'

'You, Sir,' he replied, simply.

'What? about me?' L asked. Was Rai-chan stupid or what? did he not know how to formulate a proper reply?

The boy tilted his head, silky blonde hair falling out to the side. 'Your big, bony toes.'

L was tempted to blink, ouch.. that was quite blunt. Older Rai-chan was never this mean, always sugarcoating his words and politely answering questions he was asked. Part of him was beginning to miss that Light. . .on second thoughts, no. . back to the scrawny brat.. 'What is so funny about them?'

'They move all the time when you are not thinking, like, like,' he giggled uncontrollably, waving his fingers in a crackling sort of way, trying to explain. 'Like spiders, or monkey toes! Yes, like monkey toes. Big, skeletonal, monkey toes.'

L looked calmly at him, not missing Aizawa's amused huff, and shortly thought about what to say. You don't know how much I hate you. Did you also know that skeletonal was not really a word? 'And, how is that funny?'

Light shrugged, and smiled secretly. 'I guess the way you also look like a gorilla in your sitting pose, and your bony face from down looks weird, too.'

L deadpanned so badly he wished his eye could twitch instead. Light burst into a new raging fit of giggles, proving his point, L's nose twitched, he was so-o tempted to scowl. Stupid Kira. How did the little rascal even get under the table in the first place? 'What are you even doing under the table?'

'I was playing secret cave,' Light informed him wisely, giving him a look that said the boy thought he was stupid to not have figured it out himself. L sneered right back the best he could using only his flat grey eyes. 'But secret cave is not fun at your boring house.'

Just so you know, Kira, my house isn't some tall building in a cramped metropolis. I live out here right now because of you, you know. Plus the 'boring house' you are criticizing costs a pretty penny. 'Is secret cave even a real game?' L commented, intending to anger the fat-faced brat.

Light crawled out from under the table and rose to his full height (not as impressive as his older self's shortness [Older Light was merely average height, you know]). The boy gave him a sad look. 'I am sorry you do not know the game, Sir Detective,' he said with a slow nod.

L replied with an unenthusiastic: 'I can see that.'

The boy nodded and extended a palm. 'Come, I teach you,' he declared.

If only he had offered information on his super-natural abilities.

L hoped his eyes expressed his straight refusal at the sincere (judging from the earnest eyes) offer. 'Oh, joy,' he mumbled.

Light, taking it as a yes, grinned, grabbed his hand, and pulled. L's huge eyes widened a bit, just how oblivious could children be? Light tugged again, 'Come on, get up, Detective. You are heavy.'

Rai-chan must be incredibly lazy or just unpowerful, L observed, because his hand was just barely lifted by all the insistent tugging. L wanted to warn him that tugging at something in a swivel chair was a bad idea. The boy pulled again (missing a playmate, are we, Yagami-chan?), swinging back with the force and tugging. He ended up pulling the swivel chair along with him and fell jarringly to the cold ground, L grinned gleefully in his thoughts. Light, frozen on the ground, looked at him for a second before a full blown scowl mastered his features.

Wow, L thought, he must be holding his breath to draw out the complete effects of his scowl. I am so scared.

Light crossed his arms and looked to the side. The corners of his mouth fell lower (heh, must be all that weight in his cheeks, L cracked unsympathetically).

The boy scowled harder. L nearly laughed. Was he trying to kiss the air? No, wait, he was trying to pull his lips and brow to his nose.

Heh, that fall must have hurt him. L tilted his head to the side. 'Oh, my, is Rai-chan feeling alright?' he asked, painting his voice with the hugest amount of sympathy he could muster without curling his tongue. Even a child would be able to hear the glee he was concealing.

His chin quivered slightly.

Weak to a little teasing? hah.

'Don't worry Rai-chan,' Mastuda said, crouching beside the boy.

Where did the idiot pop out from? L groused sourly, Matsuda just had to come and ruin his fun.

'Ryūzaki is just being a big meanie,' he said, quite familiar with how to handle children.

What? How was he the "big meanie"? Light was the one who had been laughing at him all morning. Along with ruining his greatest case ever, the pink faced dwarf is the meanie! Stupid Matsuda.

'Teach me the game?' he asked cheerfully. 'I want to learn it.'

'You do not know how to play secret cave?' Light asked, hesitantly but incredulously, his features softening.

Chief Yagami sighed when Matsuda nodded affirmatively. Light lifted his arms and waited for Matsuda to lift him to his feet before grabbing his hand and pulling him away.

L just moped at how unfair everything was. Seemed he'll now be left alone for quite some while.

About Seven Hours Later

'Soap?' L repeated, quite miffed. L had left the brat taking a bath (he seemed sensible enough not to drown himself, so the detective had deemed it safe to leave) and now the Chief was asking him if there was any bar soaps left in the room with Light. Because the lavatory was the last place on earth you'd think to look for soap.

'Let me clarify myself,' the Chief said at L's look. 'Light had the bad habit of eating soap. I am afraid it might be back with his transformed form.'

Eating soap? How could anyone even stomach the thought of downing something so not sweet?

'Sachiko used to tolerate only the scent of soaps, shampoos and such, when she was pregnant with Raito,' he explained hurriedly. 'I think that is what now causes Light to take an instant liking and fascination to anything that smells like soap-'

That would explain a lot of things, L thought dryly. That boy just adores soap and clean things to an unhealthy level, you know.

'-to the point that he would take to licking bars of soap and gulping down soap bubbles when he was younger,' he said, worriedly. 'It took years for us to break him from the habit.'

L could imagine (what with how enigmatic and unpredictable children were), unsympathetically, hopefully he would choke during a soap-loving session and die. But, 'I didn't see him eating - or licking, as you said, any soap.'

'Of course,' Chief pointed out. 'He waits for the moment he's left unattended.'

That made sense.

L didn't want to go back into that bathroom. Why was the Chief even telling him this? shouldn't he just gallop worriedly to the tub and attend to his spoilt crayon-headed son? Why was he... oh, ahh... L had sent the boy to bath in his own quarters. The Chief had some good notions of privacy, that he did.. unlike him, so L might as well humour the responsible man. So the detective turned around and made for the room, reluctantly. Why didn't he want to go back there? the reason was still ringing in his head, Light-kun was singing, merrily to boot, and L didn't want to go anywhere close, Lord knows his bright mood was infectious. It must be another special Kira ability of his.

The boy was still singing, as anyone with an IQ over ten could gather. L paused a bit and tried to place the song. It was ridiculously easy to place (the tune was familiar) but left him quite surprised - where in the world did Light Yagami learn to sing that Green Sleeves song? Even L had never learned the words to it, and he was from England! He should have gotten his older self teach it to him, the younger Light was difficult to handle.

L stared at the boy, who was tapping his elbows, facing the other way. Ok, how to say? L opened his mouth, 'I hope you weren't eating soap, Light-chan.'

He spun around dramatically, splashing bubbly water onto the floor.

L's grey eyes widened slightly, acutely taking notice of all the water and soap bubbles on the bathroom floor. The floor! L thought mournfully. Why? Oh, waiiiiiiii? There goes some of his free time, L thought unpleasantly. His bathroom floor, unlike many Japanese ones, wasn't designed to drain water splashed on the floor, meaning he was obliged to mop the floor himself (Watari was never going to do it for him). L had expertly avoided the task by taking showers with the stall door shut (whenever he even deemed himself dirty enough to clean up) and being careful. Light Yagami just had to ruin another thing in his current Tokyo life. Again.

He wasn't lazy (really), he just couldn't waste any of his sparse precious time doing anything other than pursuing Kira. But now it seemed that he'll have to spend some lo-ong precious minutes mopping up Rai-chan's mess. This boy was turning out to be a real ruin-everything-for-L.

This was the last time "Ruin-Everything-For-L" took a bath in his bathtub.

L never knew he could create such impressive nicknames.

'Of course I did not,' Light said, sticking a tongue out at him. 'Your soap tastes terrible.'

There was just something so bad about such an adorable angel of a child telling you that something about yours was 'tewwibal.' L felt his heart throb, ouch. Oh, cute child, whyst do you woundeth me so (yeah, genius L couldn't compose anything poetic to save his life)? But something about that phrase had piqued his interest.

'Soaps have different tastes?' L asked, curiously.

Light gave him a suspicious look and spoke with thick haughtiness, 'You're a greatest detective of all time, find the answer yourself.. hn.'

He turned back to 'pshhhh-ing (or whatever that was)' his fingers in the water. Maybe I should get him a rubber duck or something? That generous thought disappeared when he smacked his palms on the surface and splashed more water on the sloshy floor.

Hah? L thought incredulously. Who was it that said Light was cute again? The boy had the snottiest attitude he had come across. You know what? he didn't care. L turned around to leave. His intelligence was decreasing the longer he stayed here.

But 'Hey?'

Stopped him.

He turned around with a steady glare to see Light smiling at him. All his negative feelings were burnt away immediately. L blinked, why was he even angry? it was just blasphemous to be angry at something so adorable. He tilted his head in an inquiring manner and waited for Light to finish talking.

He felt as though he could wait for his whole life, if the boy kept on grinning at him and making him feel very important.

Highest in the room.

'I made a poem for you,' he said, putting a heavy cheek on a small hand and resting his elbow on the lip of the tub.

'You did?' L murmured, quite pleased. He walked to the toilet and put down it's seat, perching himself on it easily, expecting to hear said poem. When they spent some heavy seconds without speaking, L said, 'Let's hear it.'

He inhaled, and began. 'Now, I know a man whose name is Ryūzaki,' he began, his nose turning pink and his fingers dancing nervously.

Oo, that is quite the extraordinary hot stuff, for a chibi. But L, despite the good beginning, had a bad feeling about this.

'He pretends that his name is Ryuuzaki Rue -a clear impossibility- but he is a fellow of that obstinate disposition, wilful to have imposed the name upon my Chief as an affront to it's understanding.'

His bubbly, proud chest popped and deflated.

L should have known. And (despite the impressive level the boy was talking with) he was not going to dish out any compliments or smiles for the so-called "poem" when he finished saying it.

'Sir Rue is a broad-shouldered, bony-limbed, swarthy fellow of great strength,' Light composed, blinking softly, his voice dancing into the air smoothly. L even fancied that the particles in the air admired the sound waves. 'Never in a hurry, and always slouching.'

L did not sincerely know if he should take it as a compliment or an insult.

Light continued, unfrustrated. 'He never even seems to do his work on purpose, but will slouch to his computer as if by mere accident; and when he goes to the kitchen for dinner, or goes away for something, he would slouch out, like Cain or the Wandering Jew, as if he has no idea where he was going, and no intentions of ever coming back.'

L has had poems and songs composed for him before by fans, children at Whammy's, or people he solved cases for, but never, ever, was he so literarily (the kid's speech was flawless, for talking's sake!) insulted. But Light seemed so pleasantly sincere that he was doubting that the boy knew just how wrong his words could be taken. Had L been a mobster or something, this would have been his last bath ever.

L deadpanned, of course he knew, Light is someone who never does anything without considering the multiple outcomes.

That gun hidden in the towel shelves was suddenly tempting. But he doubts the kid's Chief father would appreciate the favour he was doing to the world.

'He lodges in a dull grey building with metals as company, and in mornings he comes slouching from his hermitage, with his hands in his pockets and a fork loosely hanging from his dry lips and his sleepless eyes no more alive than they were a night afore. He always slouches, or stands against tables and chairs, locomotively, with his big eyes at half-mast; and, when accosted or otherwise required to move them, he looks up in a half resentful, half puzzled way, as if he couldn't comprehend why he-'

'Okay, stop right there, Rai-chan.'

He stopped, tilting his head, blinking thick, wet lashes and asking, 'Why? you do not like it?'

Like hell. L stared at him.

Light frowned and tilted his chin down. Did his eyes just become larger? 'But I really took a long time thinking about it,' he said, sadly. 'I really wanted you to hear it, Sir Ryū.'

L shifted guiltily, those eyes would be the death of him one day. But there was no way he was relenting, the day was not even over and the boy was already making him half crazy, no way he was dropping his guard any lower. 'Oh, you did? For how long?' he said, seemingly unaffected. It was still good to know that he had spent time composing something for HIM.

Huge glittering eyes narrowed at him. Light thought that the lazy detective was acting a bit too satisfied. 'While you were filling the bath for me.'

What? Only? L thought. There goes to having impressed the kid into steaming his brain cells to make a poem up for me. Just how good could the boy be? L thought sulkily, even as a kid Kira was as impressive as ever. Well if his older self could crank up a speech right on the spot for an event, then it should not be too surprising if his younger self could crank up a poem in a couple of minutes.

'I am done now,' he grinned, changing the subject and raising his hands in that "Up" manner.

L would have sneered as perfectly as Severus Snape if he knew how to. Changing the subject so suddenly was plain suspicious and, 'I'm not carrying you,' he said. Standing up from the toilet and pulling up his dropping jeans (maybe he should consider getting a belt), he made for the door.

He'll send the Chief to help the kid rinse off and stuff. L wouldn't do it for all the cases in the world.

Kids were hard to deal with.

L got in trouble with Watari, at least, he could figure, from the look in his mentor's eye. And L could easily tell why and how he got in trouble.

'Ryūzaki,' Watari called. 'Come here for a second.'

L walked over, counted a second in his head and lifted a foot to slink away, but the stern glint in Watari's eyes stopped him immediately. L placed his foot back down and glared down at Light, who was clutching the Chief's leg and staring up at him. L was going to kill the boy. As soon as he spilled the information on how he'd transformed and how he killed people. So that L could kill him in return.

Light had finished telling company about how he'd made a poem for the "greatest detective" (Funny how he said the title easily only when it was convenient to him. No, it was not funny.) and how L said it was not a nice poem. Now, let me get things straight. I did not. Not. Say that it was not a nice poem, I just didn't like it. Maybe the genius could read minds after all? Because L had positively slandered the composition in the depths of his mind.

'Ryūzaki,' Watari said, noticing the glare. 'You need to adapt to being around children.'

'I do not need to, you want me to, I never thought about having any,' he said. 'Rai-chan just killed the nonexistent idea, either way.'

'You know what I mean,' Watari chided, gently. 'Now, as soon as you apologize to young Light, we shall hear this fantastic poem.'

'Let's compromise and say that I'll apologize after hearing the poem.'

'Stop being so childish..'

'I am fine with that,' Light said, stepping up.

Once again, L got that bad feeling, but he knew that this time it was going to be worse than before. His suspicions were confirmed when Watari began laughing at the boy's description of L, ruffling the brat's soft hair warmly.

Despite himself L felt quite pleased when the boy's cheeks coloured with happiness, seeing someone so purely happy was just so intoxicatingly elating. L could easily forgive him.

(Goo-goo)

(Ba-ba)

'Ryū.'

L looked up from his breakfast of chocolate cereal in sweetened (he'd spooned in sugar) strawberry milk. He remembered to look down a second after having looked around uselessly and gave the boy an inquiring look. Light had taken too long to come down for breakfast and that had quite worried L.

Because it wouldn't do if Kira got sick, they would have to take him to the hospital.

Not because he'd been missing the clingy, demanding brat. No. Kira could die for all he cared, he only wanted answers to several questions.

And proving himself right on several points of the Kira Case.

'Are we going out today?'

L observed him quietly for a second, taking in the pillow he was hugging and the paling skin. Lack of melanin was quite unattractive on the boy, it made him look fragile and easy to break. Softer and purer. It was still attracting and cute, but L thought that the warm peach skin was better than the pale white. Somehow. And that warm tan was almost completely faded. 'No.'

He pouted.

You have no idea how ugly you look when you do that kid, L deadpanned, turning back to his breakfast. Rai-chan better stop doing that all the time, his lips might freeze in that position. Maybe that was what gave him such shapely lips - the boy pouted too much (heh, nice dirt on the "perfect" genius boy). That couldn't be it though, L was a bratty kid himself, but all pictures of him had the same dry, thin, flat, pale, typical male lips, past and now. Maybe it was his English blood. L stiffened when something leaned onto his side.

'I wanna go out,' he whined. 'With Papa.'

'We cannot risk letting you out,' L said. 'Now, detach yourself from me.'

'Is it because of villains?' Light asked, stepping away and tilting his head questioningly. L didn't respond, or glance at him, instead shoving more sweet stuff in his mouth. Looking at the kid for too long made him want to squeeze his cheeks and offer him everything he wanted. 'I said with Papa, not you.'

'I do not see how that is related to all this,' L said, failing to ignore the boy any longer.

Light sneered at him, making L feel like a stupid child. 'Because Papa will protect me from villains,' he stated, indeed. 'Not with you because a villain could probably KO you with one punch.'

'Why would ANYONE even want to attack you,' L sniped.

Light spread an arm casually. 'It is simple, my father is the NPA Chief,' he said, his bright eyes glinting proudly. Once again proving that he was not just all fluffy looks and endearing manner, the boy was quite clever. 'If someone kidnapped me Papa would be in a lot of trouble, Sir Detective.'

L was suddenly feeling as though the title was mocking him, Light had such a way of speaking that he could express many things in a word. L couldn't do it in a hundred years. And that last part. This, this... b-rat was... It was not as if L couldn't have figured that out himself, he had just wanted to knock the boy down a bit. The kid instead used his own words against him. L wanted to growl, growl so badly.

And wring the boy's neck dry.

And then, just like that, he smiled, the area between his eyes pinking, his eyes glimmering and white teeth sparkling. Ahh, the resentment drained away, L wanted to offer the boy his own smile, but other than a close-lipped smile, all his smiles were creepy.

L glared at him.

'Are we going out?' he asked, pleasantly. 'I want to get candy apples.'

L would have sworn that his ears twitched. Candy apples? hein? what? did he just hear candy apples? His grey eyes rolled to the boy, who nodded. Could Light also read minds? That wouldn't surprise L, after all, he had already transformed into a brat.

'I will keep on asking until you relent, Sir Detective.'

This time L succeeded on ignoring him, simply asking himself if the boy actually really knew what "relent" meant.

'I want to also see Mama,' Light said. 'You could come, I know she would like to feed you something, you look very hungry. Especially with your eyes.'

L washed away the thoughts of green vegetables with a mouthful of tooth-aching sweetness. 'I eat just fine.'

'My mom cooks the best Brownies ever,' Light said.

The word Brownies was seductive, L deadpanned heavily. Sachiko's Brownies were rich with flavour and flavour and sweetness and sweetnessnessing flavour. On a monitor. Now imagine the real thing.

'She even has different ways of making them,' he continued. 'Mama is the best cook ever.'

That was something L knew, watching (through those cameras, of course) as Yagami Sachiko served her family desserts had been pure torture, especially when Light's family would never go for second servings. Watching dessert left untouched was an abomination. Plus those Brownies. Those Brownies. Crumbly, gooey, firm, soft. The glistening pies. The thick ice cream. L used to wish he could dive into the screen and serve himself whilst the uptight son and, sometimes, father served themselves only one helping. There was just something special about homemade food that was more appealing than purchased food. Did he mention that she also made regular dishes that were incredibly, positively sweet to look at? L had nearly cried at the sight of the honey-glazed chicken that one time.

Food served at the Yagami household could actually be the first food he had wanted to taste.

Going out was sounding more tempting.

'Are you trying to bribe me, Rai-chan?' he demanded, returning his thoughts to the fact that the kid liked candy apples. L generally associated apples with Light (Kira).

'No,' he said, aghast. 'Bribery is despicable!'

L issued him an unimpressed stare.

'I am merely telling you,' Light explained. 'Of all the goods you are missing, when staying cooped up in front of your computers.'

'No one is going out, Light-kun. And that is that.'

The boy placed the pillow on the table and climbed into a chair. 'You will get to see my baby Sayu,' he offered. 'She is an angel.'

Good looks ran in the family. L wanted to roll his eyes.

'Then we can visit Yamamoto and go to the park. There is the hugest jungle gym ever!'

L's eyes sighed, his deadpan so painfully flat, unless he relented, the boy was going to do this relentlessly.

What was a jungle gym, by the way? L had never heard of the thing before. He could search it up, but seeing it in person sounded better. No. No.

Bad thoughts.

Something tugged his sleeve. 'Sir?'

L glanced down, his eyes shooting bqck immediately when he caught sad eyes.

Dangerous. That look was dangerous.

'Light-kun,' he ordered. 'Eat your breakfast and stop pestering me, I'm dangerous when angry.'

(Goo-goo)

(Ba-ba)

Overdue Update. Sorry.

This chapter was typed when my friend came over, crying about an overdue update she owed her readers, surprising me, because she had disappeared off to Scotland. Which motivated me to type a new chapter. She's the one who edited the story and made conversations longer and more interesting, turning it from a 2503 word chapter to what it is now. Thanks again, girl.


	5. Apple Taster

Ryūk was bored. Really bored. Bored like Bored himself. The real bored. Real, really bored. Ahh, was that a fly? No. 'Twas a greyed leaf falling from the tree canopy overhead.

Bored.

There is no flies here, anyway, only skeletal bees that made honey that could poison a human.

Bored.

Maybe he should try getting a third Death Note? Ugh..

B

O

R

E

D

To boil it all down, he was very bored. Why did their realm not have anything interesting? Like cars? Oh, we have wings.. great. Ryūk would have liked learning how to drive. Books? Light was obsessed with them, even that was better than nothing. More importantly, Mario Cart? Light had introduced him to the game, giving the shinigami a taste of electronic entertainment, it was addictive. But he could do with any game right now, even chess, which he despised because he always lost. There was absolutely nothing to do here... except gamble. Ryūk was sick of it, and to top it all, Ryūk was the one who had taught them to play - after one time he had gone down to earth (that time he had really accidentally dropped his Note). Ahhh, this was boring. Boring.

The boredom was now a thousand times worse than before, now that he knew what it was like to NOT be caught up in an episode of epic boredness.

'Boredness is not a word, Ryūku,' a gratifying voice said, echoing soothingly in his head. 'I will give you an apple if you stop thinking about playing video games, you know we can't play with the surveillance they put in my house.'

Light. A source of grand entertainment. And apples.

This boredom will kill him, he was already going insane, if Light's voice was ringing in his head.

'Sane?' Light's voice said, again. 'Is there anyone sane in this world, Ryūku?'

He was itching to see the kid. Eat an apple from Earth. And maybe hear Light try to pronounce his name without adding an imperceptible "u" sound at the end.

Ryūk glanced down at the blue rose bushes growing and thought about how he could go back down to the Earth. It was fun over there, unlike Death Row (their realm, if you couldn't guess). Maybe he could surprise the humans by planting a genuine blue rose? Humans were fun. Especially Light Yagami, he wanted one of those apple pies again, before the Yagami he never even knew that apples could taste so good. Another bad thing about their realm: no one ever tried cooking something, or tried to make anything remotely better for anyone. The lazy creatures only lay around lazily. Ryūk, he himself, had also once believed that cooking was a futile waste of time, he used to even join other fellow shinigami when they mocked apron-ed men steaming over a boiling pot (which happened when they were too broke to gamble). Had being a key word. Now, after candied apples, apple chewing gum (flying pigs! who ever knew a piece of chewy material could taste like sweetened apples?), apple juice and so on, Ryūk was a happy convert, strongly believing that mankind should never stop improving their cuisine skills - especially if it involved apples.

He missed that place.

And Light... slightly.

Ryūk wanted to go back.

The Old Boss had yelled at him for a whole day (or was it two hours?) straight, though.. something about too many people dying, too fast, and about how the Yagami should never be allowed a Death Note. Aww, man. Ryūk had been planning to fly down, give the boy a good scare, and demand apples, after giving him a Note.

Ryūk's bulging eyes bulged more with sudden realization.

The boss had yelled and yelled about Light Yagami never being allowed access to a Note, but he hadn't said anything about Ryūk's access to Earth being blocked. . .

Ahaha, hah, haha, Ryūk thought as he stood up resolutely. Hawhaw. I am such a genius, Light would have been so proud.

Or not.

That guy was inhumanely clever.

Now, it would be easy to keep a Death Note from the boy's hands. So the Boss could rest his crooked bones and feathers. He was a kid, after all. But if he didn't remember or see Ryūk, the shinigami would have to find someone else to feed him apples. Which was unlikely, the previous Death Note owners had never given him any apples, either they went crazy with madness or ignored him. Before Light, Ryūk had easily killed them off before returning home for some of those nasty apples. Which always occured when he'd curiously touched humans with the book, whenever he was down there. But dropping it had been the real deal, Light was the way. Seriously. That boy was strangely generous with his apples, and Ryūk couldn't afford to go into withdrawal before he got back to the boy and his lush apples.

Ohh, apples. Did anyone know that there was more than one way of saying apple? And Ryūk knew how to say it all, he'd taken an effort to learn the other shinigami languages, to kill off boredom. The most popular language up here was Nihongo, though, because the Old Boss had defeated all the other tribes. Back when warring over dominance was popular.

Back to the subject...

He could return the kid his memories. Without details on the Death Note.

Yes. He could do that, Ryūk (unlike his stupid and backwards comrades) knew how to cultivate the power of his Notes, manipulating the gaining of memories was easy play for him. The Boss might get angry, though. . Nah, he should see this as favour instead - what was the purpose of cursing the kid for punishment if he had no idea what had happened to him? But how could he explain all this dilemma to the kid? Easy. Ryūk could easily play the part of an otherworldly guardian (Hehe, the kid'll surely find a way to kill him if he ever found out the truth, in such a situation) to the boy. But his transformation? Even more easy. He'll have him believe Kira cursed him.

All for the entertainment and food. Ryūk spread his wings dramatically, feathers fluttering to the ground.

Apples! here comes Ryūk, the vigilant apple taster of justice!

Miiuuhuhuhuhuhuuuwuh!

'Kid.'

Ryūk yelled and glanced behind him at the owner of the voice. It was the Shinigami King. Hurray.

'Aaahahahaaa!' the laugh was fake, even to his ears. 'Boss!'

Dead eyes with dried purple veins in them stared at him impatiently. 'Where are you going?'

'No place! Just stretching it out, you know, trying to improve my health.'

'You have been eating too much food in the world of the living creatures, Ryūk. Be careful,' he warned. 'Now tell me where exactly you are going, before I cut off your wings and banish you to Mu.'

'Aw, Boss, don't be like that,' he whined. 'I was just planning to go to Earth, for a little vacation.'

A long, rattling sigh blew out of its lungs. 'I never knoe what to do with you, boy.'

Ryūk dancing inwardly with impatience. Apple, apple, apple. 'I can leave?'

Shadows creeped over the king, his body disappearing. 'Just tell Rem that if he follows you and clings to that girl, I'll turn him into fine poison ash.'

'Yes, sir,' Ryūk grinned, watching as the shinigami faded into the shadows completely.

Ryūk flapped his wings, petals flying off the roses. 'Light-o. Here I come. Maybe if I threaten him with telling people that he likes pouting, he'll give me more apples?'

Nah, threatening the boy was a great way to set up his back and make yourself a target of his. But it sounded like great dirt on the perfect boy.

Anyways, he'd better survive until Ryūk made it to him.


	6. Imaginary? That's Ridiculous

L did not know what he was supposed to do in such a situation. He absolutely did not know. Matters concerning Yagami Light often did that to him, now was actually a time he wished he had spent more time with children younger than the kids who entered the programme of becoming his successor. L stared at Light, having stopped eating his unhealthy breakfast. His wide grey eyes were widened even more, by the slight. He had no idea what to do.

The rational side of him told him to just take matters in hand and deal with the problem, while the logical side of him told him to just finish his breakfast, take sugar-filled treats with him and go ponder on the phenomenal Light Yagami. Was there even a difference between the two? maybe they were all one brain that couldn't decide (which they were, genius). Ok.. The sentimental side of him (which very rarely ever popped up) was most probably what made him freeze and stare at the boy, speechless and uninformed on how to deal with the matter.

Light, who had, as promised, began pestering him, had suddenly stopped speaking and slumped onto his chair as though he couldn't stand holding himself up anymore. L, confused, had turned to look at him, only to find him tearing up miserably. It did not take too long for the boy to begin crying slowly, then full-out pitiful crying. It was quite clear now why L was perplexed over the matter and did not know what to do.

He could try to comfort the boy, but L did not know how to comfort anyone, much less a child - he would most probably end up embarrassing himself patting the boy's back awkwardly. L could tell him to shut up and get out, or one of the two (and he was sorely tempted to do so), but the boy would probably punch him or something. For sure. L could also just dismiss and ignore him.

So he did just that, turning back to his breakfast nonchalantly. He tried to ignore the side of him that berated him and pulled the bowl of chocolate-covered cherries to himself - time for a healthier snack, you know. But he had only eaten two of the (certainly not) completely healthy fruits when his resolve crumbled and he turned back to Light.

Who cried strangely. Tears were leaking from his eyes but the only difference in his expressionless face were the frowning eyebrows. L wanted to scratch his head, the boy never ceased to surprise him. He thought back at his own manner of crying, which was always putting his head in crossed forearms and getting angry at anyone who tried approaching him.

L inhaled and said, 'Why are you crying?'

Way to go, genius, he congratulated himself.

The boy didn't answer him, instead, pouting as the tears increased. Just how much liquid did he have to spare? L thought, because all those tears wete alarming. Light looked down at his fingers sadly, some of his hair sticking to his skin, wet. L's worry decreased by more than half (if the boy still had time to look poem-worthy, then his reason of crying must not be serious). L suddenly felt stupid for having felt pity for the boy.

It took several long quivering breaths for the boy to finally answer: 'I miss Mama.'

Just as he thought. L turned back to his food. How could anyone cry over the thought of not being able to see their family, he had the Chief here with him, right? This was why L never attached himself to anything... Ok, to be honest, that was not why, but, come on, read the situation from his eyes! Only babies cried when their mother wasn't around.

That was how they spent breakfast, Light crying until his head hurt too much to continue and L eating a breakfast of calories worth three-days' meal.

L, herding his Kira suspect (and no, he was not pleased when the boy clutched his hand), walked into the investigation room, going straight for his chair, completely ignoring the rest of the Task members. Light, not as much, he immediately let go of L's hand on first sighting of the Chief. L, feeling tossed aside, watched as Light ran up to the Chief, for once not smiling when he saw him, and began tearing up again.

Light grabbed his father's hand and pouted, looking up at him in an absolutely heart-breaking way. L briefly pitied the Chief, if those eyes were what he had to deal with he might have de-eyed himself. Being blind was better than being weeded into everything the boy wanted by just one look.

He was not jealous that the boy had forgotten about him.

'I want to see Mother,' he stated.

'That is impossible, Light-kun,' L monotoned, walking up to them. He was not feeling left out, at all. He was just checking up on the matters in his building. 'I have already told you.'

Light turned around and glared at him, his face heating with anger. 'Big head.'

Matsuda grinned.

L wanted to smash his cup of espresso in his face.

Eh? Now look here, you curst brat, L thought, looking down menacingly. I am trying to be helpful here, L wanted to snap at the boy. 'What's with the lame insult.'

Light ignored him and turned back to Soichirou, hugging his thigh and looking up at him. The Chief wanted to swallow. 'Papa, I wanna see Mama,' he said, simply.

'Son,' the Chief began. 'It is complicated..'

'And my baby Sayu,' he added insistingly. 'You will take me home, will you not?'

L turned and made for his computer, he didn't envy the Chief at all. Well, not completely. He was just getting too spoilt - being the centre of Light's attention almost all the time.

The Chief, stopped himself from finishing his nod at the words "baby Sayu" she was not a baby had stopped being Light's "baby Sayu" the moment she finished kindergarten. His mother would probably faint if she ever saw him, too. Things were complicated... now he actually saw why L was so adamant about keeping Light here until they found a way to reverse the problem. If they could. If they couldn't, then.., 'You will see them any day soon,' he said. He remembered to close his eyes and look up before he simply punched Ryūzaki and ran out with Light.

'Why is the swarthy detective keeping me here, Father?' Light demanded. 'I want to go home, I want to see Mother!'

'Calm down,' Yagami said. Light cooled down immediately, looking down silently.

You rottenly cute kid! why don't you ever listen to me in that way? 'Rai-chan,' L spoke up. 'You should let your father work, stop hindering him.'

Light firmly placed his head on his father and closed his eyes, ignoring the detective. L, greatly distracted (and for once not even willing to turn to back his work), glared at the boy. 'You are such a baby,' he commented childishly.

Light, surprising the detective, merely turned his head and didn't budge. What?! L yelled to himself. That was not cute at all! Light was supposed to get angry and declare he was not a baby! That was the natural reaction that was always so adorable! Just admit you're feeling bad that he is ignoring you, a silent voice snarked at him. L turned back to his computer quietly. He wasn't going to pine after getting himself an argument with the child.

The Chief sighed and hauled him up in his arms. 'Forgive me, son.'

L, for once, did not like the start his day had taken. Only a heartless bastard would feel happy while a child was feeling sad near him.

The only good thing about it was that Light was easily put into a better mood.

Somewhere Else in Tokyo

Ryūk, tired, sat down on the top of a bus, looking around frantically. He was lost and on top of that did not even know where Light was. He could attempt to find the boy by tracing the paper hidden in that watch of his.

No, dumbass, your powers are not that good.

Ryūk sighed, Oh man.. this might take days! The shinigami spread his wings and flew up into the air, he could begin by finding the correct building. Yes. That sounded like a nice idea.

Apples... Apples, red...

At Headquarters

L walked into the kitchen, where he found Light, laying on his belly and colouring in an Avengers-themed colouring book, L glanced around, all the apples that were in the fruit bowl gone, no cores lying around, pillows on the floor, more colouring books and case-fulls of colours piled around the boy. Man, his building was beginning to resemble a baby daycare, and L didn't like it one bit. L walked past Light, in a slow shuffling way that annoyed the boy to no ends. Again, the boy was content to ignore him. Not that L cared. L just cared about his Kira Case's life, and right now its life was dwindling. Again, it was not like as if he had come to the kitchen to see if the boy would have any sort of reactions to his presence. He was not missing his relentless, childish presence. L preferred surveying him on camera anyways.

L walked to the shelf and pulled out a packet of potato chips, something they had stocked after finding out how much Light digged the treats. And nope, L was not trying to get a reaction because he knew that Light perked up whenever he saw a packet of potato chips. L continued searching for something else to take with him, watching Light at the corner of his eyesight.

Because the boy might be doing something Kira-ish.

He did still his movements slightly, though, when Light glanced up, staring into space for a second, as though listening to something. Or was he daydreaming? It was hard to tell, especially from this angle. Then Light (who was right by the glass section of the wall) finally spoke. But it was not to him, he seemed to be conversing with something that was not there at all.

What? Where did that thought come from?

'No, hm,' he sniffed. L might have been right, after all. The boy was talking to thin air, was he hallucinating? No, that was unlikely.

'Sir Ryū is a jerk, Ryūku,' he said.

Ryūku? This was the second time L heard him say that name. It was becoming slightly disturbing.. and L couldn't completely stem the guilt that was creeping slowly, but surely, into him. It might be his fault after all.

The boy turned his head and stuck his tongue out at him, turning back to the book, selecting a coloured pencil and gave Black Panther red eyes.

L was tempted to stick his tongue out at him, too, but he managed to convince himself not to do so by concluding that he was the more mature of the two.

L walked by, glancing down at the page as he passed (curiously), the boy had neatly coloured the picture, but he got Captain America and Black Panther's colours all wrong. Captain America looked like Captain Italy and Black Panther looked like Green Panther. Has he even watched the Avengers yet in his child form? L stopped thinking when Light looked up at him. . . No, wait.

He was looking at something just a few inches beside him, the detective nearly stopped breathing. L would have felt shivers race up his spine if he were an average human. There was something strange about the air's quality beside him. The hairs at the back of his neck straightened and stood defiantly. A silly side of him contemplated that there was something completely solid, yet not solidly visible beside him, and Light knew exactly what it was. He positively flinched when Light suddenly started laughing, the sound was so sudden that it surprised him.

L, who usually felt better whenever the boy was in a positive mood, could not summon any good emotions. Something was just so wrong about everything. Light finally looked up at him, tilting his head, his wide eyes glaring at him.

Just like that, L wanted to smile, the glare was just so adorable, it was silly. With that, the detective walked through the door, scrambling to get back to the computers. As he sat down, he noticed that all the apples in his own fruit bowl had gone. He did not care about that, L didn't like fruits, especially plain apples, but..

His cold, grey eyes scanned the room, before going back to the monitor, something was off. His eyes caught a piece of an eaten apple's core, with the stick still on, beside the doorway. The detective watched Light on the computer for a second, the itch in his thoughts not receding.

L was feeling quite misplaced... He should have never left England.

How did it end up like this?

Easy. L didn't easily forget things.

Light had pestered and pestered him about going out, but L had managed to hold his ground. He had refused over and over and over, but the boy was so persistent that he had exasperatedly called for a comprise. So that the kid would stop annoying him - he had not progressed at all that day, regarding a minor case he had taken. They had decided that if the boy stopped pestering him, L would play with him, one game. Light easily chose hide-and-go-seek. That was how he ended up in this mess. Even though the day had ended up starting off on a good step...

Hours Earlier

'So I count up to twenty?' L said. He was not asking a question. Kids ised to play the game all the time at the orphanage he used to live at.

Light shook his head, eagerly, a bright smile on his face and the light from the computers dancing in his eyes. L felt a piece of him crumble. 'Until a hundred and fifty. . one!' he decided.

L observed him for a moment, taking a spoonful of melted chocolate and gulping it. The boy stared back at him. That sounded like an extreme waste of time.. 'Are you sure?'

He nodded and crossed his arms seriously. 'I need to find a good hiding place, or else you will find me,' he explained.

The kid would make a great professor, or teacher (L doubted he was enthusiastic about teaching children, though). Ugh. Find him. L had forgotten about that part of the game. Find him, meaning L would have to leave the comfort of his hard, reassuring chair, leave the table of totally healthy treats, leave the case he was working on under the name of Coil, leave the blank room filled with only work equipment, leave to go find a short boy with round cheeks and fluffy mood that jumped at you and made you feel brighter. That was not appealing at all. 'Let us make it hundred,' he said, glancing at the boy.

Light touched his shoulder thoughtfully, tilting his head. 'You look like as if you cannot count all that way,' he nodded. L glared at him, then admired how he gave each word a perfect pronunciation. 'Okay, I will be very generous and make it seventy-five.'

L was going to count until he was out of sight, then go back to his case. Easy as pie (not that L thought pie was easy, just a figure of speech, you know). He opened his mouth, suddenly realizing just how dry his mouth was, and began, 'One. Two. Three. Fo-'

Light frowned at him. 'No, no, no!' he exclaimed, shaking his head with every "no." L sighed and shook a mental head, what was the use of all that dramatic display of emotion?

'Stupid Detective!' he added.

L raised an invisible brow and gazed heavily at him, stupid? But the boy didn't flinch or fidget, quite used to his gaze now, in stead, he pinched his face into a serious expression, grabbed L's hand and tugged, pulling the swivel chair with him until L found himself was at the far side of the room, facing the pale grey wall. What was the meaning of this? 'Rai-chan, what are you doing?'

'You should play properly!' he reprimanded, placing a fist on his hip. 'You cheater!'

As far as cheating was concerned, he was sure he had never cheated in his life... at least, if it was not for the sake of a case. So, Light-kun, you need to calm yourself, hyping yourself up is not good, especially now that I suspect you have some sort of freak abilities.

'You should face a wall and close your eyes and cover your ears and not peek and then start counting!' Light ranted, gesturing vividly with his hands. L briefly wondered if his tiny hands could even grasp one of his fingers.

L glanced down at his huge, bony hand.. hmm, it probably would.

'Ryū-san!'

L glanced back at the boy, who was crossing his hands and narrowing his eyes at him. 'Oh, right.'

Light stood, waiting. L stared at the wall, feeling like an idiot as he pinched his eyes shut, covered his ears and began voicing the numbers out, very unpleasantly. 'One. Two. Three. Four. Five.' -he could still hear the patter of small feet as they left the room (guilty of not covering his ears appropriately)- 'Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. Ten. Eleven. Twelve. Thirteen. Fourteen.'

L stopped, opening his eyes, uncovering his ears and kicking off the wall to roll back to his table. He was a very busy man, you know, he did not have time to entertain children. No matter how cute the child was. Plus, he couldn't leave the chocolate to cool down and freeze... Ok, now, back to business... so guns were going missing from the main police department in Osaka? This case was quite interesting.

Unlike Light, who probably messed up the utilisation his powers and ended up as a short child, thus killing everything that was interesting about his case.

And no, L was not just immaturely sore that he couldn't figure out anything about everything.

With Light

Ryūk was feeling like a stupid idiotic imbecile.

You ask why? He had messed up, messed up big time. He had overestimated his own capabilities, and the moment Light had touched the piece of paper he had dropped by the boy, the power had been too much and all he could do was simply stop the boy from gaining his memories. The boy didn't even gasp or groan at contact with the paper. Which was not exactly what he wanted.

Ryūk scratched his short nose. Oh, well, one had to just go with the flow, sometimes. Ryūk would just try again later, in the meantime he could try and figure out how to cultivate the Note properly. Right now, he was going to see how the boy will take to his presence. This was going to be fun..

Light inspected the paper in his grasp for a while, after having decided that it was not important, he looked around for a trashcan to throw it in, didn't find one, and just pocketed the paper, to throw away later. Ryūk flapped his wings impatiently, up here, kid, I am right here. Thick, huge, black feathers danced off his wings, weaving down gently, catching the boy's attention. Light caught one, stroking it curiously Light looked up, the sun rays catching his hair, a small smile on his lips. And froze. His eyes widening very slowly, his body shaking with every pounding heartbeat, Light forgot how to breathe. Ryūk peered down into the attention-grabbing eyes, wondering if his eyes were always this light (did he love the boy's name! Heh). Light stared back, a terribly confused and frightened look on his face.

Ryūk grinned.

Light screamed.

It was a loud, piercing sound that cut through the air with a shattering intensity. Ryūk flinched back, covering his ears, but it was already to late, he couldn't clearly hear anything except for dizzying ringing. The ringing was all he could currently hear. Light, who had been standing at the edge of the building, looking down at the busy streets before he caught the piece of paper, startled out of his skin, jumped slightly, stumbled and almost fell. Ryūk, yelping, grabbed his collar and jerked him back onto safer ground. He wasn't that scary, was he?

'Hey,' he said. 'Don't fall off and die on me, I just got here, Light-o.'

Light didn't move, standing very, very still, as Ryūk floated back to his previous place, he was barely just breathing. Ryūk inspected him critically, their boss really messed him up, this chibisuke Light was nothing like his taller version. Worse was, Ryūk had utterly failed on making the boy gain his memories.

Light'll kill me when he finds a way to gain his memories.

Well, time for the introductions! Ryūk was craving some apples. The faster they were acquainted, the faster he got apples to eat. 'I am Ryūk, a shinigami,' he said, thoughtlessly.

Light's eyes widened, his jaw dropping with a gasp. 'Sh-sh-shi-shi-shin..' he failed to finish the title, his brow becoming more pale and his eyes almost rolling up with faintness in stead. Light's heart was trying to break his ribcage.

Oh, death, now he's done it. Ryūk wanted to smack himself, hadn't he said something about introducing himself as an otherworldly guardian or something? How could he have forgotten his very own genius plans? The boy looked about ready to cry, or fall over dead. Ryūk scratched his cheek, what should he do now?

Light jumped at the movement. 'P-please don't cut off my head! I like having it on my shoulders!' he exclaimed, clenching his eyes shut.

The sinister side of him grinned, almost tempting him into scaring the boy some more.

'Cut off your head?' Ryūk asked, ignoring his shinigami instincts. 'Why would I do that? I also happen to prefer you with a head on your shoulders.'

Light, who had begun scrambling back, stopped. Really? He thought 'You won't cut my head off with a death scythe?' he demanded, suddenly overtaken by curiosity at what the winged creature had said.

Because a headless Light meant no apples or entertainment, Ryūk thought to himself. No way I'm telling him that though. 'Yes! I am not here to kill you,' Ryūk improvised. Light stared at him doubtfully.

'Everyone has their own shinigami, you see,' he lied. 'I am to be here until you die, just like everyone else's shinigami. Some get to see theirs, many don't, you just happened to be a lucky person who did.'

Ryūk was desperately (and sorely) hoping the kid bought the crap he was selling.

Light put a finger to his chin and tried to decipher the creature's words more clearly, because his explanation was less than clear. And in the moment of silence, Ryūk lighted to the rooftop, inwardly dancing nervously. Light him, was repeating the words disbelievingly over and over in his head. The realization left him with wide eyes and a pleased countenance. 'So that means I am very special,' he concluded, placing a hand on his hip and unconsciously striking a pose.

The wind blew, tossing his hair around, the sun's rays glinting on the dancing strands. Ryūk was suddenly reminded of Misa's magazines - you know, most pictures were filled with people posing while their hair flew about. Light blinked, catching the hair that was flying into his eyes with his other hand.

Ryūk deadpanned to the side... talk about perfect timings, what was up with the effortless perfection and dramatic moments?

'Ryūku?'

Ryūk jumped at the name. 'Uegh! Eh... yes?' he said, looking at the brat.

Light shuffled, fingering the hem of his shirt. 'Do you have a scythe?'

This Light was more docile, Ryūk gathered, retardedly realizing the obvious. 'Yeah, why?'

The boy smiled, and Ryūk gawked at the sight, a strangled sound leaving his throat. Light tilted his head, eyes shimmering hopefully. 'May I see...?'

Ryūk was positive that he saw flowers floating around the kid. Was this the same boy Ryūk had thought might turn into a shinigami after death? His eyes rolled back down to look at the kid... who was impatiently waiting the answer. 'No.'

Light deflated, his lips turning down. 'Why not, Ryūku?' he scowled.

Ryūk grinned, regardless, this Light was more fun. 'If you do, I'll have to kill you,' he lied again. Truth was, he has forgotten how to summon his weaponry, the last time he had needed it was when they were warring - around the time humans created paper.

'Do you have any other special powers?' Light asked, leaning forward eagerly.

This was totally worth coming down here, Ryūk thought. Sure, when he got back to Death Row the Old Boss might make him take care if his Soul hounds for a decade as punishment, but it was better than sitting on a dusty stone playing poker. 'I can pass through walls,' Ryūk said, smugly.

'Cool,' Light breathed, his jaw wide open.

'Yep,' Ryūk boasted. 'Through walls.'

Light grinned. 'Show me!'

Ryūk's eyes glinted. 'My powers only work if I have a lot of spiritual energy,' he said, wisely. 'I have small energy left, though, I will demonstrate, but after that I need apples. They replenish my strength.'

Kukukukuku...

Light was hanging onto each of his words in a starstruck manner. The shinigami's speech was rushed, but Light could easily understand it, he felt as though they had spoken plenty times before. 'Woahwwh.'

About forty minutes later

L looked up from his case slowly, the fact that Light had not yet stomped into the room angrily, or come crying for the Chief (something he did every hour or so) was worrying him. L could not survive that long in a "hiding place" (anywhere, really) with nothing interesting to keep him busy, how Light was doing so was wonderful. An old case jumped to his mind, making a nervous grin slide across his face after he thought about what Watari might do to his diet if the child went missing. No, that was a stupid idea, L had blocked access to the two lowest floors (only the Task members and Watari had authorized access), meaning Light would not go missing, or get kidnapped.

But Light could unlock almost any coded door he came across, L knew for a fact, the boy had inhumane hacking skills, partial luck and partial smarts, most of the time. He could easily leave the building and go on a killing spree... or get kidnapped, L was sure the blonde hair and enchanting smile would be irresistible to trafficking agents. No wait, his older self could, "Rai-chan" could not even reach the handles properly. Whew.. then must have run into Matsuda, or something. No wait, they were all out.

Ahh. That wasn't good, Kira had to be under surveillance at all times.

He also had to admit that the silence was really heavy and weighing on him, he was missing having Light pestering him, taking most of his time with arguments over nothing, or just insisting that they watched cartoons. Strange, he used to live for the comfort of solitude. L dropped his knees to the seat, his cold feet touching the colder ground, and stood up, his knees letting out a loud crack!ing sound at the misuse he had put them through. Getting a gut feeling, he checked the surveillance footage of the elevator from forty-five minutes earlier. It was the most logical thing to do. And, just as all his other gut feelings, he hit the mark bullseye, Light came creeping into view two minutes later, hitting the button to the topmost level. L watched as the boy crept out, had second thoughts, and dashed back in, hitting almost all the buttons, in disorder, dashing back out before it shut closed and making for the staircase that led to the rooftop. He looked pleased with himself, with that sweet smile on his face.

L heaved a heavy sigh.

The genius had effectively jammed his elevator, it was going to run up and down for quite a while, stopping at the floors selected, equally. Meaning he had to take the stairs. The thought of doing all that exercise was really bad. It was simply fortunate that the boy didn't know about the other elevator. L shuffled out of the room, straightening his posture a bit, after a few remembering how much Light disliked it. He punched a button and entered the elevator when it opened to him, grimacing at the background music playing. Who put it in? It was boring, and fraying his nerves. That violin was like shrill siren trying to sound nice.

L preferred hip-pop music. Uncommon to popular belief, he was not a fan of classical music (so the piece squeaking out was utterly ridiculous), he liked rap especially, with loud resonating beats in them, and rappers who could turn a casual sentence into something incoherent that had you wanting to listen again, just to make out the lyrics.

He'll see about fixing up the soundtrack playing. And the elevator system.

He was not Light, for L's sake, who went still under a spellbound moment of shivers whenever he heard a piano and knew almost all the musicians that had ever been born. If you wanted, L could name the first hip pop stars, piano, not so much, but he knew a few names. L personally thought piano was even more boring. Out with all the thoughts of him being a typical genius.

Riding the elevator was boring, listen at just how stupid he sounded.

A ping alerted him to the fact that he had reached the roof. Another good thing about this elevator, it went all the way to the top.

L stepped out and looked around slowly, his eyes landing on Light, who was walking casually on the teetering edge of the building, a soft, soft breeze teasing his hair, the sun turning his hair strawberry blond. It took less than a second for him to realize that there was no railing on that side. L, his heart having decided to travel up to his throat, stood there, unfamiliar surges of panic overwhelming him. His eyes had widened, his thoughts stumbling over each other, just how dangerous was that? Taking how light Light was, a gust of wind could easily unbalance him, and a strong one could straight out blow him off the building and into a free fall. Light could easily turn into a splatter of blood, meat and crunchy bones, and all it would take was a second. Heck, if L somehow startled him, he could easily lose his balance and fall. The boy was easily startled, too. Even if he turned around to see him, he might still be startled.

So L stood there, not knowing what in the world he had to do, frozen, irrationality taking control of his brain.

Light, who appeared to be casually conversing with someone, tilted his head (Keep it straight, Moron! L screeched in the depths of his thoughts.), turned around, and jumped down, walking to him. L could feel his heart calm down, and by the time Light was standing in front of him, glaring, he was feeling quite like himself. 'Found you,' he said, lamely.

'You promised you would play with me!' he said, his eyes shining with... was that betrayal?

Out of all things?! L demanded silently. Out of all things! How about telling me what you were planning to do of you fell off MY building? Do you know how much trouble I would get into? not to mention that he would have the police sniffing around his building. Plus, if his son died because L was playing some stupid game of Hide-and-Go-Seek with him, L doubted the Chief was going to nod jovially and say nothing. 'What were you doing up there?' he asked. Peering down at him in what he hoped was a disapproving manner. 'Do you know about physics? If you fell of, you'd have been a pile of unidentifiable, clothed, mashed, fresh meat by the time you reached the ground, , Light-kun.'

'I am not that stupid,' Light remarked.

L could not understand just why he was pissed off. 'Sincerely? I doubt that?'

Light him, had his own problems, too. 'If you did not want to play with me you should have just said so! You are a big bad meanie!'

L, feeling slightly guilty, immediately explained his actions. 'I was searching the floors, Light-kun, do you know how many floors there are between my floor and the rooftop? You jammed the elevator, remember?'

Light gawked at him, his eyes incredulous, and L got the impression he knew that he was lying. 'You just did not want to play with me,' he said, his lips pinching up angrily. 'I know that you were sitting in front of your computer with that big-headed, stupid case. I hate liars, Sir Ryū.'

'No, I wasn't, what gave you that idea?' he said, hating his flat voice for once, any attempt at emotion came out almost mockingly. Why was he feeling like crap?

'Ryūku saw you.' The unuttered "stupid" jumping at L easily, even if Light did not say it. 'Do not worry, I know that you are busy, Sir Ryū. I'll just go play with Ryūku. He is definitely more nice than you are.'

From there, things went downhill pretty quickly and now L was here, moping at his crappy case. Light had decided to ignore in favour of talking to thin air. Thin air. Him, the Great L.

This sucked. L looked around idly, And right after Light had gotten into good spirits, too. After his little childlike moment in the morning. But Light ignoring him two times a day was more than enough, already. L glared at the wall, blaming it silently for not warning him earlier. Because despite it all, L had come to like this version of Light - it felt almost like having a clingy small brother. A clever one.

'Oh,' Light speaking up caught his attention. L turned back to the monitor. 'I have already forgiven him, don't worry about that, but I'll ignore him for a while longer, because he is a big meanie, Ryūku.'

Ryūku? No, wait, it sounds almost like Light-kun was trying to pronounce "Ryūk." And who are you calling meanie, short brat? (Me obviously, L's mind supplied easily. Who else?)

'Hate him? No I like him,' Light said, unknowingly making L's chest warm up. Eheheh.. who knew he was likeable. Light's opinion was something important to him - they were fateful rivals, after all. Such an adorable child saying they liked him was something he had never heard before. Even at Whammy's. 'He has a lot of sweets and buys me whatever I want. So getting apples will not be a great problem.'

Oh.

'Why are you laughing, Ryūku?' Light asked, tilting his head.

The boy only likes me because I'm loaded, good to know.

'You are weird, Ryūku.'

L's eyes narrowed, his brow lifting up with folds. Going back to the matter at hand: Ryūk? L was now sure of it. He didn't take Light as the type to... L stopped his train of thought and turned around at the sound of the door opening, his grey eyes going immediately from Aizawa to their Chief. 'Yagami-san,' he called.

'Yes?' he replied, walking in. 'Is there anything wrong?'

He hadn't taken Light to be the type, but.. 'What was the name of Light-kun's childhood imaginary friend?' he asked. Maybe he was just an ordinary child after all, L himself had an imaginary friend called James, who would have grown up to take on the James Bond name.

Ahem.

The Chief, surprised, shook his head incredibly. 'Light never had any imaginary "friends," Ryūzaki, never.'

What? L looked back at the screen, Light had stopped colouring and was sitting back, listening to something, replies leaving his mouth now and then. 'I think he does,' L said, grimly.

'Ridiculous, he's never had one,' the Yagami said firmly. 'He did try to invent one, once, when imaginary friends were all the rage, amongst his classmates - but he failed miserably, I remember it quite clearly. I assure you, Light never had any imaginary friends, he preferred having solid humans to play with.'

What? Solid humans? But what about this Ryūk Light was so fond of? L, cursing his brain, suddenly remembered all the eaten apples, black feathers that "must have floated in from the window," that mystic note Kira had written to him, and the sentence the boy had yelled at him earlier, concerning "Ryūk."

L looked around, his expression not changing.

He did not want to continue thinking about this. No.

Chapter End

Not much of a chapter. It was more to let you guys know that, yes, this story, no matter how silly, does have a plot. It's not one of those that get abandoned after a while. Don't worry, Light's still gonna be "Rai-chan." In fact I'm excited about finally adding Ryūk in. Please Review. Anything. I consider suggestions, too.


	7. A Plainly Silly Argument

Thank you for the reviews.

...

L watched Light warily.

He'd gotten Watari to summon the boy back into the room they were occupying, and he did so successfully. Only after he bribed him with a new movie to watch did Light agree to come along, saying that he would need more apples for Ryūk - and if he could get a lollipop or two for himself. Watari, ever ready, had walked to the cupboard and pulled out a box of (L's) chocolates that he easily handed to the boy, unaware of the detective staring at them with wide eyes through a monitor. Light, who had lit up like a neon sign, skipped out of the room with the (L's!) box and soon made it to where the Task members were waiting. L had briefly glanced at Watari (disappearing away professionally) and wondered when he'd stopped disliking Light the Kira-suspect and liking Rai-chan the golden-haired angel. He looked away when Light's footsteps approached, L's grey eyes had glanced at the box, before rolling up to the boy holding it. Now we are back at the point where L was watching him warily. Warily because L had a bad feeling about the kid.

One side of him had offered up the idea that the boy had a sort of invisible creature with him - a shinigami to be exact. L gathered, from all his clues, plus that also made more sense than his earlier conclusion that the boy was a shinigami (maybe he'd read one too many thriller fiction). If this "Ryūk" dude was some sort of winged creature with sinister powers or something, it could explain why Light was a child - the thing cursed him (he was feeling a bit too lazy to come up with something better - lack of sugar really was unhealthy to him). The other side insisted that Light, feeling lonely, had made for himself an imaginary friend, one that had to be as real as possible - so the kid used his powers to aide him with that (hence the floating objects). L, not quite ready to believe in such a thing as a shinigami (that decided to suddenly haunt his Kira suspect), decided to go with the other explanation. It would not surprise him if Light Yagami really had powers. Either way, if it were really a shinigami, then Light's probability of being Kira was raised by fifty per cent, because shinigami were all about death. And death was a word easily associated with Kira, nowadays. It would take hours thinking over the matter and in the end L would still come to the same conclusions.

Light was Kira. End of discussion.

'Light-kun,' L called. The boy stopped and walked towards him only two steps, before suddenly remembering something and delicately veering clear of L with a toss of his distracting bright hair. L blinked.

Riiight. Light was still angry that L had ditched him for a case. L tried again, this time thinking before saying. 'You don't want some?' he tempted, his pale hand gesturing at the plateful of waffles that he'd been neglecting. So what if the only thing L was good at when interacting with others was either talking business (him ordering and others obeying) or bribing (because he could afford it easily). Bribing for the sake of a case, that is.

Light hesitated, a tiny breath escaping him, turning around to glance at what the detective was offering. The boy took one look at the pale hand and sniffed,turning the corners of his mouth down, lowering his eyelids and lifting his nose importantly. 'You are offering me the food you did not want to eat?' he demanded. This detective was just something else.

L stared back at him, his expression as flat as always. How did the boy know?! he screeched. L wouldn't have known it, if it were him. What L did know was, that serious expression the boy was trying to create was freaking adorable! Squeee!

Ahem... praise the heavens that L's demeanour was one that took a lot of effort to change.

'Who do you think I am? a cheapskate?' L asked, still quite pleased that the kid was talking to him. Because it wouldn't do if Kira suddenly stopped speaking to him, how else was he going to gather clues?

Light crossed his arms (mindful of the chocolates) and lifted one eyebrow at the man. Did he think that Light was stupid?

L deadpanned at the kid. Why was he lifting his eyebrows and squinting one eye almost shut like that? He couldn't see clearly?

Ryūk chortled. Older Light-o couldn't also lift his right eyebrow successfully, the kid should have tried lifting the left one. No, wait, this was funnier.

'I was gesturing at the pop tarts further away, Light-kun,' L said, not at all that remorseful about the lie.

Light hesitated for a second. 'Bribery does not work on me, Sir Ryū. Hmph!' he sniffed. 'Just say what you wanted to ask of me.'

L wanted to pinch his face into something that resembled a study in constipation. This kid was difficult! Why was he making L feel as though he was trying to win over his attention? (Because that was certainly not what he was trying to do!)

'I was hoping you could tell me about Ryūk,' L said bluntly. He wasn't a fan of beating around the bush, plus the boy had invited.

Light looked at him assessingly, his cheerful eyes glancing at L's bare feet and hunched posture. 'No.'

'Why?'

'Ryūku will go away,' he said easily. 'I don't want him to.'

Aha! L gloated I knew it! This Ryūk was imaginary! Why else would the boy refuse? L's grey eyes brightened briefly, for the first time in a long time. That means the kid has powers. Powers, guys, Pah-werz. 'What does he look like?' he asked, ignoring the side that shouted "Shinigami" to him.

'Why should I tell a pale greatest detective of all time?' he mused, making L feel like he was unworthy of something. 'If I tell you, you will just feel bad that I am the only one who can see Ryūku.'

He sounded almost considerate, L thought with a flat stare. 'Why would I feel bad?'

Light spread his arms in a "obviously" manner. 'Because only I can see Ryūku.'

It was times like these L thought, without a doubt, that Light was indeed a child - that phrase was just a bit too childish. 'Obviously. He is, after all, your imaginary companion,' he said dismissively.

Light gasped. 'He is not imaginary! How could you say that!' he demanded, glancing up at Ryūk for assurance, who was grinning, as usual.

'Oh. Sorry, I did not realize that was a sensitive topic. ' L said, not sorry at all and feeling like that cold main character from a story.

'He is not imaginary,' Light insisted, fiercely. 'If you dare say that once more, I will cut off your hair.'

'You will,' L repeated, feeling very amused.

Light glared at him and turned around, seeing the laughter in those deep grey eyes, walking off angrily. Feeling like a little kid - something he didn't like feeling like.

L sighed, feeling put-off, sometimes he just didn't know what was really going on. He turned back to his computer screen, time to think about Light Yagami again. L looked to the side, reached for a pop tart, and froze.

The spoon he had left in his cup of tea was quietly turning round and round, whirling the sickly sweet, green tea silently. By itself.

L rolled his eyes to Light, who was eagerly watching Watari set the movie for him, unawares of anything else. The tired grey eyes rolled back to the cup of tea, the spoon was placed neatly beside cup, the beverage whirling slower and slower. L looked at his Task members, none of them seemed to have noticed anything (all of them, except Matsuda [who was watching Light and Watari, working quietly] still working the keyboard). L glanced back at his screen almost uneasily.

He could almost imagine someone laughing at him.

L did not know what to do about the floating objects, disappearing apples, and Light's imaginary friend. L believed the lonely boy probably created a super-imaginary companion. He had discussed it with Watari, and the man had said it was a pity Light couldn't attend Whammy's, completely brushing off L's words. L had then told him to be careful around Light and avoid him a bit more, Watari simply told him to stop feeling jealous. L wanted to snort, like as if he could ever feel jealous about the boy or some lame-ass powers that he had. Because superpowers were something no one could ever get jealous over, you know. He was just curious about how the kid's powers worked... wait, didn't he agree to call them "abilities"? ...so yes, abilities. Who wouldn't be curious about? This was something straight out of a myth, or fantasy story.

The way the apples disappeared in chunks. Was Light vanishing it? did that mean that he could vanish other things? Where did they go after they vanished?

Not to forget that he still had the problem about Light's transformation.

This development also gave L more insight on the extent of Kira's abilities... ok, not really, to be honest. He was just even more perplexed about everything. If Light had gained his powers... abilities at such a young age that meant he had had over a decade to perfect them. Or maybe they naturally grew greater over time? If he hadn't transformed would L have ever found out about the boy's abilities? L wanted to know what caused the victims' heart attacks - did he make the heart malfunction? or something? Light just had to be Kira, if not him, then who else? L doubted there were any other Moon-goddess' Lights with unworldly looks, powers.. abilities, and smarts around Japan Kanto region.

He just came up with that awesome nickname, you know (Moon-goddess' Light) . The boy's name had inspired him, how cool was that. Having such a name made the boy easy to mock. Ok, back to the boy's powers... L was saying that who else could be Kira? He wasn't stubbornly refusing to let the notion go (as Watari said) just because he didn't want to find that his most frustrating opponent had an IQ lower than Light's. Which was increwondibly, ridiculantasticly (I think one could get what he was trying to say) high. Maybe if there really was a Kira with an IQ as high as the boy's he could have accepted that the boy was maybe not Kira - but just think about it, who else could be Kira? Not everyone was bad-ass enough to be counted as L's rival. Now add that to the fact (it was a fact, it just had to be) that Light had abilities. Have you ever heard of a detective that caught a supersmart supervillian in real life?

L was feeling quite smart himself. L, The Greatest Detective of All Time (don't forget the capital letters) discovers a boy with superpow... super-abilities.

It'd go down in history books before L himself was even history.

It'd inspire chef patissiers to make menus of dessert just for him.

It'd make him a detective in a class of his own. No, wait, he was already a detective on a class of his own.

Ahh, la vie est belle.

'.. a true love's kiss.'

L's insides cringed, his flat stare flattening even further. He could feel the shimmering fluff all the way here, making his teeth were ache at all the sugary sweetness of the narrator's story. L glanced at the sweetened tea he was drinking, reluctant to continue consuming it, it might give him cavities if he drank it whilst listening to that silly voice. All this was the fault of whatever the boy was watching. L counted to ten in his head (the so-called "trick" didn't work) and spun his chair around, to see Light, his mouth gaping with silent horror, watching a lady (Ooh~ Angelina Jolie, he involuntarily thought) crying, looking at her back. What was that? He certainly did not have such a movie in his movie library. He dropped his feet to the ground, planning to walk over.

L, who had originally intended to switch the television off, stopped (just who didn't like watching Angelina Jolie Films?) and gave the movie a chance. He watched for a while, getting more interested when the story took a dark turn - so it was not about faeries and true loves and all that cringy crap? nice. He had expected to turn find something like Beauty and the Beast or that Cinder-something girl playing. Maybe it was going to be about a vengeful Angelina Jolie (what was her name in the movie?), that would be cool.

But it didn't take long for the movie to reveal that it was, in deed, a movie about faeries (ugh) and true love (seriously?). L's interest faded into boredom, Sleeping Beauty? how sappy could one get? L stood up and walked forth, stepping around Light, who looked up at him with wide eyes, halting at the stand and ejecting the disk.

Light who had been gawking up at him whined, 'Aww! Ryū! I was watching!'

L easily ignored him and read the title, what a gothic title for such a sappy children's fairy tale! L looked at Light, who was pouting adorably, his eyebrows scrolling down, L wanted to snort. 'What you were watching was some mind-numbing fairy tale... even Avengers is more interesting,' he said.

'You big head meanie!' Light pointed at him dramatically. L stemmed the chuckle that bubbled up from his throat, surprised with his reaction. Teasing the kid was fun.

L pulled out another CD case and showed the cover to Light for a second before removing the disk and inserting it into the player. 'Pirates of the Caribbean,' he said. 'Now this, is a movie.'

He caught the gleam in Light's eye with satisfaction - all little boys loved pirates didn't they?

'Pirates?' he repeated. Making L briefly doubt his ability to think properly, repeating something someone had just said was plain stupid.

Light looked at Ryūk, who nodded and began explaining with a clumsy voice. 'Sailors, except these go around looking for gold and the elixir of eternal life, something like that.. they were bad guys,' he said, appealingly, knowing just how much Light despised "bad guys". What was the use of not making the most of it and gaining better entertainment? He continued, 'Going around killing villagers, stealing their money, trading people off to be slaves, not taking baths for weeks and months, and all that nasty stuff.'

He watched with amusement as the boy's expression grew darker and darker, his eyes glinting to a fierce orange-red. Light scrambled up to his feet, pointed at L, his jaw gaping, his expression incredulous, he breathed in, preparing to say something. . . and gaped a bit more, not knowing what exactly he had to say.

L turned around when the movie began playing, to see Light's vengeful figure, his mouth wide open, his jaw moving as though he wanted to say something. 'What? Cat got your tongue, Rai-chan?' L asked, a smirk just seconds away.

Light glared at him and crossed his arms.

Ryūk chuckled, this was fun.

'Pirates!' he finally said. L gazed at him quietly and steadily, flattening Light's vengeance slightly.

'Stop repeating the same word over and over, are you ok?' L finally said.

'Pirates are bad guys,' he said concludingly, opening his arms to re-cross them and glaring at L up and down. Up and down.

L wanted to laugh, was he trying to glare or trying to flutter his eyelashes? it was sincerely hard to tell. He mellowed immediately though, 'Sparrow is an extremely likeable character.'

'How can you like a bad guy?' Light demanded. He was still quite sore that his previous movie had been cut short. 'Ryūku told me all about them.'

L stared at him, took a packet of oreos from his pocket, pulled out a cookie, put it in his mouth, chewed, and stared. Not Ryūk again, L was going to start thinking his imaginary friend was something else.

Light faltered. 'They don't take baths, they steal and lie and kill,' he said, trying to stop the man from watching the movie. He also really wanted to continue that film!

L would have rolled his eyes if he could do it comfortably. The boy looked like as if he just wanted to watch that other film, what was he? a princess? As though sensing L's thoughts, Light scowled at him, curling his mouth and narrowing his eyes. L thought that he looked like as if he was squinting at something while trying not to cry.

Light said, 'I want to watch Malefiquecent.'

That wasn't even it, L mocked. You're confusing some French word with the correct title, kid. 'I don't,' he retorted.

Light's chin turned down. 'Please?'

L was feeling smug for a reason he couldn't comprehend. He turned back to the television set. 'No, Light-kun,' he droned.

'Sir Ryū!' he exclaimed, his impatience showing.

If this were his older self, L was sure that the boy would have just pleasantly gone along with whatever it was L wanted to watch, instead of arguing about a Disney film. Not that Light would have been caught watching a fairy tale. L mock sighed, 'Oh, Rai-chan, what is the matter? You can just watch it, it won't harm you.'

'You can just let me watch the other film,' he replied.

'You can just watch this film - it is more educating,' he responded.

'You can go back to your job,' Light huffed, tossing his head to the side.

L didn't want to. This was not the first time it had happened, too. What is going wrong with him? L looked down at Light, not knowing what to say back to that, the kid had a point.. 'If I don't want to?'

'I will tell Uncle Aizawa that you are being mean with me,' he huffed. 'Uncle Aizawa is very strong.'

I doubt he would attack his own boss, L casually glanced at the man, who had an expression that said many things... but if it was for a such a kid, even L himself could do so. 'Why not use Ryūk? that imaginary friend of yours,' L asked, steering the subject away from the wild-haired man, no use bringing others into this.

Light turned to him and frowned angrily, walking over. He growled (or, tried to). 'Ryūku is not imaginary! He is real! You jealous frog!'

With that he closed his fingers into a fist, raised his arm and smacked - not punch because the boy threw his closed fist like a slap (a shame, too, Light Yagami did not know how to throw a proper punch?), his leg. L looked at the boy, who glared in return and said, 'Do not call him imaginary. And, put back the movie Watari-ojisan put for me.'

He smacked again.

Ryūk laughed, this was gold, gold, I tell you.

L deadpanned. 'Ow.'

Light glared at him, face warm with anger. L grinned (inwardly, of course) unrepentantly. Light scowled at him again, making L briefly wish that the boy stayed a kid (because comparing the cute pouts to his older glares and scowls was like comparing a flower with a knife).

'Frog,' Light said, obviously addressing L.

L, who was struggling not to ruffle the naturally neat hair, was effectively brought to a stop at that word. What did he say? L looked down at the angry boy. Did the boy just call him a frog? L wanted to stare him into oblivion. 'Frog?' he asked, softly.

'Call Ryūku imaginary again, I will hate you for the rest of my life! you frog.'

Hah?! He did call him a frog! L thought, bewildered. How in the Lord's good world did the tiny Light come up with that? No one has ever called him a frog - no one. People had always likened him to something cuter, like a teddy bear, or a panda - especially a panda. L looked at the Yagami. Didn't he look like a panda? with his pale, white skin and sleepless eyes? That was what everyone said, and agreed on. How in the world did Light come up with that.

Light, as if sensing his thoughts, looked down a bit shyly. 'You sit almost like one, Sir Ryū,' he mumbled.

L could feel his heart melting warmly. If the kid had called him a drowning toad, L would have taken it all with a benevolence of a Pope. L wanted to smile. Maybe the idea of getting himself a kid was not so bad, children were angels.

Ryūk glanced at L, small pity running through him, Light had them wrapped around his fingers!

'I advise you not to call me that,' L said.

Light stuck out his tongue. 'You can't make me, frog. _Frog._'

'I do not think the movie is appropriate for him, he is still three years old, Ryūzaki,' Mogi said calmly, after he noticed L opening his mouth to retort.

L, who had looked up at the man's quiet words, glanced down at Light smugly, predicting that he would react negatively to that. Light, ears colouring embarrassedly, spun around. L wanted to smirk, that is what you get for poking your nose where it is not wanted.

'I am not three!' he protested. Ryūk laughed even harder, making Light's eyebrows twitch.

L hooted inwardly, his expression not even twitching, he said, 'Sure look like it.'

Light spun to face him for a moment before putting a hand on his hip and glaring at him. 'You look too stupid to even know if I am three or not,' he said, cocking his head and hips. He lifted a hand a waved it with every of his next words. 'So do not speak.'

L's mind blanked out for a second, not knowing whether to laugh or frown. He decided to go with the latter. Now lookee 'ere, lass, L retorted in his thoughts. Ye've been spoilt too much. Outwardly though, his expression didn't change, L opened his mouth to say something that was probably going to sound lame or childish, or both.

'Light,' the chief said, quietly.

As though possessing a sixth sense (which L suspected he had), Light drooped at the scolding before turning around and scrambling away from L and to his father's side. 'Sorry, Father,' he said, leaning his elbows onto his lap. 'Will you tell me a story?'

The Chief smiled. 'A story?'

'Ask him about his abilities in exchange,' L said, suddenly losing interest with the movie. He has already seen them, watching it seemed a bit lame, after all.

Light glared at him all too eagerly. His eyes plainly saying get lost, L basked in the attention for a full second. Light turned back to his dad. 'Yes, a story, about all the villains you have caught.'

L, feeling left out, turned around and switched off the telly, slinking back to his table top of unhealthy snacks. He was tempted to announce that he had more interesting stories about villains than the NPA Chief. But the other side of him scolded him and told him to go back to doing his work. L turned to his screen, sitting (like a frog, according to Rai-chan) and not straining his ears to hear what the Yagami were going to talk about.

'How about I tell you about the time I chased a criminal all the way to Hokkaido?'

'You did?' Light's eyes gleamed.

Aizawa grunted. 'We sure did, boy,' he said. 'Nearly lost track of him four times.'

'But the Chief persistently pulled through and we always caught his trail once more,' Mogi added.

'The little ringleader had diversions piled up one after the other!' Matsuda added. 'That year I was twenty-one, the youngest officer to be working directly with the Chief!'

Light was puzzled, didn't he just join the academy? Light could clearly remember his father proudly mentioning that a sixteen-year-old had somehow made it into the Academy... He brushed it off casually - who cared? The story was more interesting.

'He even pulled out a double at a point,' the Yagami said. 'They looked alike, but the height was off by an inch - something they tried to fix with the higher-soled shoes.'

'I still do not understand how the Chief noticed it,' Aizawa said.

'That was when he turned around and tracked down a long-haired, bearded man driving a run-down Toyota car,' Mogi continued.

'I didn't understand it at that time,' Matsuda said. 'But now I understand that he remembered the car driving past us, going out of the parking-lot building.'

'It was suspicious,' the Chief admitted. 'We caught the fake ringleader struggling to open a car door. He couldn't be caught that easily.'

L watched, sullen, as Light listened with wide eyes, his head moving from one man to the other. He was feeling like a piece of the background.

'When we found him again,' Aizawa said. 'The little.. the ringleader was heading for the ocean.'

'Chief only set a few of us in pursuit, saying it did not make sense,' Mogi interjected.

'And he was right!' Matsuda said. 'That was another decoy! A false bearded man boarded the boat, while the Chief suddenly began tailing a girl.'

'We pursued like madmen all the way to Hokkaido,' the Chief finished. 'We finally caught him and his organization fell to pieces a few weeks later.'

'Woah,' Light murmured proudly, a smile cutting across his face. 'Amazing.'

This time L really rolled his eyes, his sore eyes stinging at the action. That wasn't really impressive - L has chased criminals all the way under the sea, across the globe and up in the air.

That was when Watari walked in with a bowl of fresh apples.

Light's face lit up comically. 'Apples for Ryūku!'

Ryūk chuckled darkly, his bulging eyes mischievously landing on L, he looked at Light. 'Say, Light-o,' he said. 'That guy called me imaginary just a few moments ago.'

Light glanced at L (who didn't look at him because he was still feeling left out), his eyes lightening, a malicious glint flashing across them. 'You are right, Ryūku.'

Ryūk giggled. _Ohh, this was going to be good._

...

It's not Wednesday, as I had promised - but it's still the wee hours in the morning, the sun isn't up yet. I'm sure that still counts as Wednesday night.


	8. Chef de Cuisine le Grand L

'My son cannot be Kira, Ryūzaki,' the Chief stated. 'There has got to be another explanation.'

'Then who?' L asked, his brain numb with how long he had been discussing the matter with the Task Force. They had gathered for a discussion, after the room had been spooked silly with the disappearing apples. 'If not him?'

Aizawa, firm as a mountain and L's only ally (albeit a weak one) said, 'One has to admit that things that happened around the boy are simply unnatural..'

Matsuda had a pinched look about his face, as though saying "When has anything concerning the Yagami men ever been natural?"

L wanted to growl at them, why couldn't they just think? for once. Light was Kira! all this cute metamorphose was just part of his big plan (a stupid one, at that) to prove himself "not guilty." If Light was not Kira (as his doting father insisted), then the only other explanation L came up with was that Light was targeted (or haunted) by something else. Whether it was Kira (or some sort of supernatural spirit) was something he had considered considering, but couldn't really because just why would a busy mass murderer simply curse an annoying pretty boy? Because the boy had scored higher than him during the exams? L sincerely doubted that. There was also another logical theory, since the murders had completely stopped: Light was Kira (as L gathered) and somehow he got cursed, or something, and really was a kid - explaining why he wasn't murdering people. 'Light-kun also seems to be displaying paranormal abilities..'

Matsuda said, 'So you're saying that he has the powers to kill-'

A squeal from the next room unfortunately (or fortunately, because the man just loved arguing with him) cut Matsuda's speech short. They all stared at whatever they were looking at for a moment longer, slightly surprised - that was Rai-chan's voice. Then their eyes all turned to look at the curtains hiding the next room. L froze (for a mere second) after he remembered that the next room connected to (it was, in fact) a balcony. What was the child doing, for Pete's sake?! Not that he knew any Petes, but! the boy might really just give him a heart attack without actually intending to. Why did Light suddenly squeal? what in the world was there to squeal at when you're on a balcony.

They all seemed to remember the railing that went round the balcony at the same time, the metal bars with huge enough spaces in between for even Matsuda to slip through easily gleaming in their mind's eye.

Security railing, in deed.

L dropped his feet to the ground as the others stood up and walked forth, his cold grey eyes scanning the curtains that hid the glass balcony doors from sight. Light was proving himself to be a real problem, why was he always popping up everywhere and distracting them from their jobs?

He was displeased when the others scrambled forward faster than him. It would make one think that he didn't care what had, or was happening to Light (not that he really did, he was just contemplating what his situation looked like - as a good, observant detective). L walked onto the warm balcony, expecting everyone to be crowded on the balcony, staring out and down at a bloody mess of Light meat. They were crowded on the balcony, but Light was still standing there, body fully intact, his face glowing.

L nearly raised a brow. Great.

Light was clutching a tabby cat, running his hand over it's back lovingly, nuzzling it to his cheek affectionately, his cheeks warm with utter loving awe. L, then and there, decided that the scene was absolutely not worth cutting their discussion short, even though one would have wanted to capture it into a photo and keep it forever.

What a fat, unhealthy cat, L grumbled. Watching as Light walked up to his father, stretched his arms out and presented it to him. The cat swished it's tail across Light's face, making him flinch and giggle.

Had it fallen from the sky? L doubted that, it was plainly impossible for such an unhealthy, overweight cat to fall from the heavens.

'Where did you get the cat, Rai-chan?' Aizawa asked, suspiciously, he was still freaked out from the display "My friend Ryūku" had put on earlier.

The Chief seconded the question, his eyes on the collar and name tag wrapped round the tabby's furry neck.

He stole it, L gathered logically. What else? He inwardly shook his head lamentably. Oh, Kira, how low you've sunk. Going as far as catnapping some fat cat?

'Ryūku got her for me,' he said proudly.

The Chief shifted uneasily, no one was comfortable with the mention of that abnormal name.

'You stole someone's cat?' L said, unable to stand there quietly any longer.

Light turned to him. 'No,' he denied. Light turned back to the Chief, pointing at a balcony of a building diagonally across from them. 'I saw her over there, all alone, so Ryūku decided to get her for me, do not worry he will return her.'

Oh joy, L thought. He pulled a cat over here with his tele-abilities. Let's just hope anyone who saw a floating cat thinks that it was just their imagination, L didn't want to attract attention to his building. And the cat was a boy, Light-kun, not a girl. 'Return him back, Light-kun,' L ordered.

'I want a cat,' he pouted. 'So that I can play with it.'

The Chief sighed, Aizawa smirked and Matsuda smiled. Mogi and L seemed to be the only ones who didn't know anything about when Light got a cat in his grasp.

'How does one play with a cat?' L asked. Cats were quite useless, if you asked him, dogs were a better choice.

Light let the cat lay lazily on his shoulder, it's claws hanging down and gripping the boy's breast pocket, it's tail snaking round his neck, pleasing the boy. Light smiled, displaying two rows of white teeth and brightening the day. 'I will play with it,' he explained shortly.

'Secret cave?' L asked, not knowing where the want to tease the boy came from.

'No,' he said, his tone seriously haughty. He gave L a slow look, his heavy lashes blinking slowly. 'What a childish game.'

L's cold grey eyes stared at the boy flatly, making him squirm slightly. This boy...

Ryūk chuckled. 'Hey, Light-o,' he called.

The boy looked at him expectantly. 'Yes, Ryūku?' he answered.

Aizawa shifted uncomfortably, his eyes dancing to the balcony doors and waving curtains. Ryūk chuckled at them.

Matsuda inched backwards, a sudden chill between his shoulders. 'I - I'll go check out the Ki..ra murder patterns, I think I had noticed something.'

The Chief raised an eyebrow at him, following him into the room, Aizawa easily following them, Mogi not far behind. They had already made sure that Light was safe, right? Only L stayed, staring at the wall Light was looking at, his curiosity urging him to still.

'They don't seem too happy with the cat,' he said. 'Plus its owner might be looking for it.'

'Oh,' Light said, dejectedly.

'Give it to me,' he said, one eye trained on the pale detective.

Light detached the cat from himself, running his hands over its clean fur and handed the unfazed cat, who was easily glaring at Ryūk, to the apple-loving shinigami.

Miuuhuhuhhuhu! Ryūk cackled inwardly. Spreading his wings and dropping feathers, his eyes rolling to the detective. Ryūk was disappointed when the pale human didn't react, his huge eyes not even blinking, instead he tilted his head in an extremely annoying way and began eating his finger. Ryūk could bet the cat that the dude's fingertip was not even tasty. React, or do something! Ryūk flew off the balcony, pausing to see if the dude would finally freak out or something.

Ryūk flapped his wings agitatedly, say something, dammit!

'Light-chan, I advise you to tell your friend Ryūk to hurry up.'

Light nodded and gestured. 'Hurry up, Ryūku,' he said, a smile on his face.

What am I? Your errand shinigami? Ryūk thought, glaring at the detective. Let's see if you like having your food eaten by something you cannot see. Ryūk flew over, noticing the small smirk the vitamin D lacking frog sent him as he said something to Light.

Light and L walked inside the building, Light holding the thin detective's hand and skipping enthusiastically alongside him.

L nearly breathed a sigh of relief when they entered the building, his nerves fraying. There was absolutely no way he could continue lying to himself now, it was simple, Light was haunted by something. A shinigami, to be exact. Kira had once told him that shinigami ate apples. If the invisible thing ate apples and had wings, then it just had to be a shinigami. L's grey eyes went nervously around the room, Light leading him to the television, where he crossed his arms and gestured eagerly with his eyes. L couldn't completely stem the nervous feeling that was pooling in his stomach.

Taking a deep, quiet breath, L set up the movie for the younger Yagami, a thrill of happiness running through him when Light hugged his knees in thanks.

Ryūk dropped the cat onto the chair it had been occupying earlier with a plop, dejectedly spreading his wings and gliding back to and into the building.

...

L was going to cook.

He actually really was going to cook, and it wasn't oatmeal porridge. Nor was it a pot of coffee.

He was going to cook, cook something real, something to eat. Could you imagine him doing that? Detective L was going to cook a real meal, something steaming real, a full bowl of food.

The detective always did this for a reason, now and then. He always cooked something to eat right before he was going to take a shower (about every other day, or so). L would then place it on the table to cool as he took his shower, so that when he was all clean and ready to eat, he would find the meal cold. He had found, strangely, that after having taken a bath (or shower) he liked eating something cold, most preferably something that wasn't really a dessert or snack, something really healthy. It always made him feel important and thoroughly refreshed.

L peeled the seal off the container and emptied the contents into a bowl, his other hand's fingers already reaching for another object expertly - his concentration was unparalleled. The Great L was going to cook - beware, thou common peasants. L grabbed a fork.

'What are you doing, Sir Ryū?' a voice piped up behind him.

L, a bit startled, didn't react to Light's presence, merely taking a saucepan of boiling water off the stove and pouring it slowly over the ingredients in his bowl. When he'd finished pouring the liquid, he poked the ingredients carefully - this was far from over. The process had just began... L turned around and looked down at Light. 'I am cooking,' he announced, proudly.

Light glanced around the kitchen, his eyes scanning the appliances around the kitchen with a doubtful glint shining in them. L glared at him, he didn't need to look so doubting. The boy reached over and grabbed an empty container curiously, turnitut around in his hand and reading it easily, surprising L - he himself used to struggle with mere katakana, how did the little twerp read that kanji easily?

'Kumogawa Instant Ramen...'

A pair of eyes looked up at L, the bright lights hanging round the kitchen twinkling in the orange. L stared at him, his grey eyes now matte black, the lights glinting off his messy locks of black hair. Light stared back at him, the lights making his pale skin a ghostly white.

'I thought you said you were cooking,' Light accused, his huge eyes making L feel guilty of something.

'I am cooking, Light-chan,' he said.

The boy stared at him.

'I said I was cooking,' L began, unable to continue staring into the boy's eyes. 'I did not say I was performing the culinary arts - there is a difference. A grand difference.'

Light was still staring at him.

'Cooking,' he continued, trying to justify his words. 'Means cooking. Here I am cooking the ingredients in hot water. Cooking merely means mellowing something using heat - which is exactly what I am doing right here, Light. You're the one at fault for having immediately assumed I would be replicating some culinary skills when I said I was going to cook.'

The boy was still staring at him.

'Aren't you supposed to be in bed?' he demanded, exasperated.

Light stared at him for a moment longer before letting it go. 'Are you going to give me some of what you are cooking?' he said.

L glared at him. 'No,' he replied. This was a sort of sacred ritual he always performed! no way L was letting the boy destroy the tradition he had been keeping up for almost a full year. L scanned his pajama-ed frame, nearly huffing at the striped pattern - he looked like an old-fashioned prisoner. 'And you should be in bed, not standing here.'

'I am hungry, Sir Ryū,' he said, not budging. 'I cannot go to sleep.'

L deliberately glanced around the room, his eyes on the shelves and cupboards, as though saying "help yourself, the kitchen is full of food."

'I want real food,' he muttered.

L looked at him coldly saying, 'Then open the fridge.'

Or was it a refrigerator? L didn't know. Why there was two (or three, there was also something called a freezer, right?) different names didn't make sense - they were both machines that kept things from rotting.

Light crossed his arms stubbornly. 'I do not feel like eating cake before sleeping.'

Then starve, L thought dismissively turning around with a mental roll of his eyes. He had to go get that shower. Something tugged his sleeve, making L turn back around to look down at the boy.

'I am hungry, Sir Ryū,' he said softly. 'Will you please give me some? Please?'

The look Light gave him through his lashes could have melted stone, L swallowed dryly. Light grabbed the end of his shirt, tugged the material and wrapping it around his fingers. No, not this again. L turned back around hastily before his crumbling resolve fell in pieces.

'Please, Ryū,' he wheedled out, making L feel as though he was stealing fish from a starving kitten or, in other words, a shameless jerk.

'But you go to bed once you finish eating,' L complied.

Light smiled, making L feel better about it. The detective walked around the place, his cold feet going more numb as he padded across the cold floor. He briefly considered cooking for him a pot of oatmeal - it was easier, then decided against it and took out a pan. Placing it over heat, he cracked half a dozen eggs into the pan.

Seems that he really was going to cook, after all.

L grabbed a spoon and bagan scraping the eggs off the bottom, watching with wonder as the yolks broke, turning the mess into a huger mess. L scraped and scraped, resolved to not let it burn, the eggs turning into an unidentifiable mass. Light giggled softly from where he stood, behind him. L continued scraping, perplexed with the egg dish which was soft and half-cooked, yet slightly charred. Light, standing on a chair, peeped at the pan and began giggling again.

L deadpanned.

Light giggled again.

L wisely decided to turn off the heat and stopped suffering the poor pan of eggs. He pulled out a plate and scraped the mass onto it, taking a glass and pouring chocolate milk into it, he then put the food on the table, before the boy. He added two cupcakes and a spoon to the dish. 'Here, your dessert.'

Light glanced at his dinner.

'What, you want salt?' L demanded.

Light shook his head, a smile splitting open on his face. 'Thank you, Sir.'

L wanted to smile. 'Just eat.'

The boy ate slowly, soundlessly, making L (who was watching) feel hungry. The man glanced at his bowl of instant ramen, temptation wrapping her claws round his mind. He was feeling hungry. Light sipped from his cup of milk. L finally sighed, and pulled out the other chair, seating himself with resignation. L leaned his chair back, grabbed the bowl and placed it in front of himself, his hand reaching for a fork. He pulled his feet up and crossed his legs on the seat, and began eating.

Sometimes it was better to eat it while it was still steaming. As L ate he decided that he should, most definitely, do this again. It was nice, eating dinner with someone. L didn't even realise that he had finished eating his noodles until his fork hit the bottom of the bowl with a clink! L glanced to the side at Light, who had long finished eating and was staring at him with a sleepy frown.

'You slouch too much, Ryū,' he said. 'And you duck your head to meet your food.'

Yep. He was definitely going to do this again. It felt nice and made L feel all warm and chummy inside his chest, and this time he welcomed the feeling. L sat there, reluctant to stand up and ruin his mood. Light yawned, making L glance at him.

L stood up and turned to face Light, spreading his hands. The kid stared at him blankly, another yawn cracking his jaw open. L yawned after watching Light yawn, big and long, his chin almost touching his neck and his nostrils flaring. Light snickered at him. L glared at him and gestured his hands impatiently. Light, a mischievous smile tucked into his cheek, tilted his head in mock-confusion. L glared at him and dropped his hands, turning back to his bowl.

'Okay, I am sorry, Ryū,' Light said, opening his arms. 'Up, Ryū. Up.'

L turned around, trying to decide whether he should do it or not. He glanced at Light and made up his mind.

'Come here,' he said, leaning over and hauling the boy up into his arms. 'Little rascal.'

Light wrapped his arms round L's neck, a sleepy grin on his face. 'I knew you were kind, Ryū.'

L walked out of the room slowly. 'I thought I was a thin, creepy, mean, unhealthy, frog.'

'You still are,' Light replied. 'But you need to add kind to the list.'

'I see,' L muttered.

Light let his head drop onto L's shoulder. 'If I had a big brother,' he began, slowly. 'I would like him to be exactly like you, Ryū.'

L didn't answer, merely walking forward without delay, prompting Light to fall asleep. But as he dropped the kid on the bed and roughly covered him with the thick blankets, and stepped back, he brought his thumb to his mouth, thinking one thing:

I'm going to adopt this little frog as my small brother.

L turned around to leave, his eyes going down to the scattered clothes the boy had leftvon the ground.

Maybe he won't, after all, because L was always the one left to clean up his mess. L sighed, crouching down and picking up the clothes one by one. A piece of paper fell out of the short's pocket, making the detective tilt his head. L was quite sure Light was not the type to tear pieces of paper and stuff them into his pockets.

So where did this piece of paper come from?

He reached his long fingers forward and grabbed the paper.

Ryūk turned around and glanced at the pale detective - he really did sit like a frog! Hehehe.. wait. . . Ryūk's grin slid off his face. Oh, crap.

The shinigami then shrugged. Oh, well.

...

I'll be editing the story over the week's end.


	9. Ryūk the Wise

Ryūk, feeling quite grand, had phased through the wall and waited for the detective to leave. The shinigami couldn't risk being seen yet..

He had to plan this carefully, you know. Ryūk's plans always had to been planned thoroughly, always.

The winged creature chuckled and phased back into the room, grinning at the cameras - those things wouldn't give him away, even if someone had touched his Note. They couldn't capture an image of him even if they scanned the room with lasers and any of those fancy human gadgets, that was just how life was. This was going to be very good. He just needed time to plan what he'll tell the pale human when the detective saw him. And a thousand ideas were running through his brain and he couldn't decide which one he wanted to use. Yeah, he was feeling grand and smart.

Really, to be honest, there was only two ideas in his head right now, or three... Ryūk was not sure. He scratched his head and tried to think more clearly, failing naturally. Well, you tell him if you could use his brain better than he does - not everyone had a nice head of brains and most certainly not a shinigami.

The creature struck a pose and scratched his cheek, finally deciding on one thing.

He'll just go with the flow, like always. Whatever came to be, was to be.

He wasn't really good at enacting his plans either, you know, whether he had thought about it or not. That meant he was not sure if he should go see L or just wait for the guy to see him... hmm, what to do? Wait, not another thinking session, Ryūk groaned silently. This was happening to him more and more than was usual ever since he came back here.

At least he was not bored, Ryūk thought about Death Row and shuddered, he was never going to go back to that place. Never. Ryūk will just stay here. Yeah, that sounded like a nice plan. He will stay here, and when Light died, he'll stay with his kids - who shall most likely be law-adoring brats, like all Yagami forefathers, but being geniuses? Ryūk was not too sure, after all just cause your dad was a genius didn't mean you'll also be one. Or maybe Ryūk was just a tad bit sore he was surrounded by clever humans whilst he was an idiot and felt satisfied at knocking Light's children down a bit.

Who said Light would even have brats?

Ryūk chuckled. If the boy didn't get children then he'll convince him to adopt an apple tree. So that he won't be lonely - not because Ryūk was the legendary apple taster.

_Now_ that was a plan he could certainly stick to.

'I'm assuming-'

Ryūk started at the voice, jumping and crossing his arms in front of him, his eyes going to the spot in front of him. It was L.. with a lolly in his mouth.

L stared at him calmly and repeated what he was going to say. 'I'm assuming you're Ryūk, right?'

Oh, man! Ryūk whined, berating himself for his stupidity. Now I missed the opportunity to scare him! He blurted out his first thoughts. 'How long have you been standing there?'

'Long enough to come to terms with the fact that I am not, in fact hallucinating,' he replied, chewing the lollipop. 'What are you?'

Ryūk chuckled darkly.

'I have a lot of questions I want to ask,' he continued, making Ryūk question if the human actually thought he cared about that. 'But we may start with that.'

Ryūk spread his wings and floated into the air, laying horizontally and grinning. It was his time to shine.

'What do you think I am, human?' he asked, pitching his voice deeper. Lesson one: be mysterious.

'I gathered that you are a shinigami, with all this trouble about Kira.'

Lesson two: be wise. Ryūk stroked his chin, vaguely wishing he had a beard. 'Hmm, how clever, yes, one could say that I am a shinigami..'

'What are you doing here? Is Light-kun Kira? Is that why you are haunting him?'

Ryūk chuckled slowly, like an ancient man feeling his wiseness and enjoying it. 'Light-o is not Kira, I am.'

After all, if Light was found out, he'll be put to death and Ryūk might as well say goodbye to adopting an apple tree. Plus, this was more fun.

'You are Kira?' L asked, glaring at the skeletonal (who cares if it was not a word - he could justify himself by say the Yagami brat had said it too) creature.

'Yes, I am. Did you seriously think that a human gained powers and began killing off other humans?' he demanded, stroking his chin slowly.

L brought his thumb up to his mouth, not ready to be beat. 'Of course I did.'

'Hmhmhm.' Ryūk shook his head wisely. 'Well you are wrong, mortal.'

'If you are Kira, as you claim to be, then why are you going around killing criminals?'

'The feared one sent me,' he replied. He had nearly said You-Know-Who, but that might make the human doubt his words.

'Sent you.. why?'

Ryūk wanted to laugh so badly. 'No reason, he just wanted a new army of souls,' he answered benevolently.

'That's why you began killing criminals?'

'No, I would have began killing everyone in my sight, you humans are lucky you have a Light-o Yagami,' he said, thinking, The kid might consider adopting two trees, since I am lying for him.

L wanted to scoff. 'Lucky?'

'I met him perchance,' he said, stroking his chin. 'It was just happenstance that I glimpsed him and took note of the brilliance shining in him.'

Ryūk was using words he had never used before!

L stared at him blankly.

'I allowed him to see me, and he told me about justice and criminals, who deserved death more than the innocent population. Thus began the reign of Kira.'

Ryūk grinned. 'Then you had to come ruin everything.'

L glared at him. Well screw you, too. He turned around and left the room, which he had walked in earlier to check on Light. L was going to complain to Watari about the case, like he always did.

This was so, not fair.

...

Aizawa was surprised when, come morning, Light ambled over to him after greeting his father and smiled at him. It was not an ordinary routine, usually the boy greeted his father when they entered the room and clung to him for an hour before suddenly remembering that there were others and greeting them. Then he'd go pester L about going out or doing something interesting. They were, easily, the background, secondary characters, props and such.

Aizawa nonetheless answered, feeling quite special that morning, and walked along to go sit at his usual place and search for anything concerning Kira. Which always resulted in fan websites and nonsense from the public nowadays.

Tiny footsteps followed him, making the man halt for a second and look back - he found Light, who smiled at him. Aizawa run his fingers through his afro, four indentations reminding him why he never liked doing that. He walked forth again, thinking maybe it was just a coincidence. Light followed again, making him actually stop and turn around.

Aizawa was surprised, again. 'Rai-chan?' he called. 'Is there anything I can help you with?'

Please say no and go away. Please say no and go away.

Light smiled and nodded his head. 'I am bored,Uncle,' he stated.

Aizawa smiled stiffly. 'Is that so..?'

Light nodded again, a steady smile still steadily fixed on his face, and rocked back and forth on the heel and ball of his feet. He hummed gaily.

Aizawa looked around, noticing L and the Chief, who looked as though they were trying not to glare at him. Aizawa huffed, it was not like as if he wanted to hang around the boy - especially not after apples started disappearing and floating around him (Aizawa had legged it for a nearby temple as soon as he left the building and prayed more intensely than he had ever prayed his whole life... ehe..). The man wisely walked to his chair and sat down, deciding to simply wait for the kid to get tired of being in his presence. God forbid anything paranormal happens.

Too bad he underestimated the child.

'Uncle Aizawa?' Light called, his elbows on the man's lap, his head tilted up in two hands.

Aizawa inwardly shrinked, he used to enjoy looking after the kid (especially if he came to the police station), but after the fiasco yesterday... 'Raito?'

'You are not typing,' he informed, a smile tucked in his cheeks, as if he knew exactly why the man was not typing.

'I am thinking,' he said. Trying to remember how to exorcise spirits and protect yourself from a curse.

'What are you thinking about?' he asked, curiosity pitching his voice.

'The case we are working on,' he said. Most certainly not anything bad about you.

'Who is the bad guy you guys are trying to capture?'

Aizawa wanted to squirm. 'That's what we're trying to find out.'

'Is that why I am here?'

What I'd like to ask is when are the questions ending? Aizawa glanced at L, who was watching them in that annoying manner of his.

'You could say that,' he said with a shrug of his shoulder.

'Have you gathered any clues yet?'

Light's eyes shone at the question, his lashes throwing shadows over his half of his eyes.

Aizawa's shapely mouth turned down at the corners. He did not even consider lying. 'I did not, Ryūzaki is the one who did most of the work, gathering clues, offering the theory that Kira might be a human, getting us a main... suspect.'

Light looked doubtful, he threw Ryūzaki a glance and turned back to Aizawa. 'He probably stole the clues from my Dad's team.'

Aizawa glanced at the Chief, as if saying: Help me out of this conversation, dammit!

Light hummed, smiling. 'So what does this bad guy do? Does he steal? or kill?'

'I suggest you begin working, Aizawa-san,' L's voice cut through their conversation.

'Uncle said he was thinking,' Light said, standing up straight with a hand on his hip. 'I consider that as working, Sir.'

'He should then consider putting his thoughts on the monitor,' L retorted. 'As we all are.'

Light waved a hand, an action his older self did much more better, but despite all the cuteness it was still elegant. 'At least he powered his computer, Sir Ryū,' he remarked. 'Your computer is still shut down.'

L's eyes lingered on Light's back for a moment longer before he turned his head around and switched his computer on. Ouch..

Light smiled and leaned onto Aizawa again. 'Where were we?'

Aizawa wanted to sigh. He was used to carrying children on his lap and children pestering him because he had some children of his own. But this was Light Yagami they were talking about! Not an ordinary kid, if you didn't know.

'Am I disturbing you, Uncle?' he asked softly, his mouth curving down sadly.

Aizawa (he was blaming this on his paternal instincts) did not have the heart to say no to him. 'No, of course not, Rai-chan, how could you ever disturb me?'

'If that is the case, good, then,' he said, a smile colouring the area between his brows.

Aizawa immediately regretted lying, why hadn't he just said the truth? He should have payed attention when his grandmother used to warn him about lying. Aizawa shifted awkwardly and opened a file, dearly wishing the boy would get tired of lingering around him.

'Say, Uncle Aizawa,' Light began.

Aizawa grunted in answer, trying not to groan.

'Can my hair become like yours?' he asked, tilting his head. 'All nice and big?'

Aizawa's eyes went to the blonde hair, which only curved slightly at the ends. The day his hair became an afro would be the day pigs began speaking.. 'That is impossible, unless you perm your hair - or something,' he replied, doubting himself.

Perms only gave curls, right? Aizawa was hoping he was right and you could perm your hair into as wild an afro as his. Lying to a kid was something he was not too fond of doing. Unless it did them good.

'May you tell me a story?' he asked.

'I am a bit busy,' he muttered.

'How about you read me one?' Light improvised.

'As I said,' Aizawa responded. 'I am a bit busy, Rai-chan.'

'You said you are a **_bit_** busy,' he pointed out logically. 'I do not think that that is very busy, at all.'

That made Aizawa remember just how smart the boy could be, catching a smirk from L at the corner of his eyes. Damn detective... 'Pardon me, I meant I am a very busy right now, Raito.. but Ryūzaki seems to have a lot of time on his hands today, he hasn't even opened a single file.'

Light turned to glance at the detective, who was staring at Ryūk. 'No, Ryūku wants to speak to him, and he is boring today, he keeps on glaring at Ryūku and saying something about a guy named.. Kira?'

He looked back at him. 'You should stop trying to get rid of me Uncle Aizawa, I'm going to stay here until lunchtime.'

Great.

'Say, Uncle,' he began. 'May you let me use your computer? Sir Ryū never lets me use his.'

'What will you do if I let you use it?'

'Type.' He shrugged. 'What else?'

'Paint? Play games?'

Light stared at him.

'...What will you type?'

'I do not know, but I feel like I know what to do with it, if I want.'

Aizawa glanced at the time on his computer - ten minutes had barely just passed. Oh, joy.

...


	10. Rolling

L stopped glaring loathsomely at the boney (as if he could talk) creature and turned his swivel chair around to gaze at Light when the Task force began leaving for lunch. It was more interesting than watching the eerie bust of the creature. Who claimed that Light was not Kira and began telling him a story about how he was Kira.

As if anyone would believe his stupid story.

L had some doubts, though. He focused back on Light, who, as promised, had stopped hovering by and pestering Aizawa the moment Matsuda muttered something about having lunch. Light sighed, lingering for a second longer before he stood up straight and ambled over to his father in stead (making L glare at the boy - Come on, the greatest detective was sitting right here!). After the Yagami had reluctantly, but firmly, stated that he was not going to take Light out with him, the boy blinked sadly, his lips turning down, and turned his view away from the departing officers. He crossed his arms and stuck out his lower lip. His glimmering, bright eyes caught L's big, dark, bored eyes and the hurt projected from them vanished. He smiled charmingly at the detective, deciding that pestering him was more worthwhile.

L, despite his rational thoughts reprimanding him, tilted his head invitingly at the boy. Expecting him to walk over and begin talking, he was surprised when Light slowly made it onto the floor and began rolling his way. What?

L forced himself to blink. This could not be happening, the immaculate Yagami Jr was rolling across the floor?

Wait, he meant Junior in the sense of inheriting the Yagami love of justice, not in the sense of inheriting his father's name. If you looked at their files, you would find justice lovers of all types - police officers, lawyers, soldiers, politicians, and all those stiff careers.

Light let out a childlike chuckle when he stopped at L's chair, sitting up and folding his legs beneath him. It prompted L to stop thinking (for a split second) when he felt his insides melt at the smile that stayed on his face.

'Light-kun was rolling on the floor,' L said, perplexed.

'Yes,' he confirmed. 'You should try it.'

L was busy inspecting how Light's hair had turned slightly green where the blue lights hit the fluffy strands. He did not answer the boy.

'What about me?' Ryūk asked, clambering through L and stopping right in front of him. 'Can I try it, Light-o?'

L glared at the shinigami's back , feeling tempted to kick his bottom. He was sure it would work, because the spikes were tickling his knees and shins - meaning he was solid. He glared again, this time feeling the strain it put on his tired eyes.

Light beamed at Ryūk and smiled with two nods of his head. 'Yes, you can. Let me show you how it is done.'

L - now part of the background - watched as the creature and Light began rolling around the room, Light's giggles and Ryūk's squawks registering in his head easily. How in the world was a creature of death and an adorable kid rolling around in his building? When Ryūk bumped into his swivel chair (emitting another squawk) L glared at the creature and smirking when Light stopped behind him and shoved him through the chair.

He was vaguely (very) pleased when Light sat up and looked at him, his cheeks flushed and that endearing smile playing on his lips. . . L decided that Light should not revert back to his older self and let him take him back home in England - because Chief Yagami would have a hard time raising Light once more, not because he wanted to raise the kid himself (he was just a very thoughtful being who cared about the Chief).

'It is a lot of fun, Sir Ryū,' he said, still smiling.

L wanted to pinch his cheeks and hug him. Big brothers were allowed to do that, right? Light considered him as his elder brother (even though L would have preferred getting a "father" sort of title).

In the background, Ryūk stood up, grumbling and muttering at the detective.

'Is that so?' L asked impassively. It could not be true, Younger L had once tried rolling across the floorboards of the Whammy orphanage (he had been feeling too lazy to walk, at that time) and the experience was very unpleasant. The creaking wood had kept on digging uncomfortably into him at every single angle, not to mention it was cold.

L tucked his knees in a bit more, cringing at the memory of the cold and hard floor. Plus, if his boney self started rolling around on the floor, he doubted he would look any better than Ryūk.

Light giggled, the childlike pitch in his vocal amusement making L breath out slowly at the sound. His eyes were focused on L's bare feet, making the detective consciously still them with an inward scowl after remembering what the boy had said about them. Light inched forward and caught L's chair between his fingers, propping his head up onto the seat.

Cute. Cute, cute. L's poker-face was priceless.

'Say, Sir,' he began, slowly.

L gazed at him, feeling like a slab of butter in a warm pan when his eyes caught Light's gaze. Boy! L felt that he would do anything the kid wanted.. felt only, because doing so was always a bad idea. He was still a suspect, you know, and L was a serious detective.

L focused on the boy again, steeling himself.

Light's eyes glimmered, the lights on the ceiling reflected perfectly, a pout settling on his mouth. 'I am hungry.'

I should just kidnap him and keep this kid as mine, because the Chief would certainly not give up his adorable son. Even if the Great L wanted to adopt him. L gave Light his most professional deadpan.. 'What does Light-kun think I can do about that?'

'Feed me,' he stated, making it sound like something very simple.

L flattened the boy with his heaviest gaze, despising him down to his smooth, clean toenails. Because he knew that if he did not feed the kid, the boy will go into a fit of crying - which always made him want to beg his pardon - and L did not want to stand up from his chair. Standing up was very unappealing at the moment, standing up to go cook was even worse than unappealing. He was more comfortable with this, Light being a cute little kid and him being the centre of the kid's attention. Stopping the pleasant moment to go eat was unappealing. So L gave it one more shot. 'Summon Watari.'

'No, you lazy detective,' he accused. 'You like suffering Watari-oji all day long, while you sit like a sloth and eat.'

L rolled his eyes up to Ryūk. Was that what it looked like to others? The shinigami grinned maliciously at him.

'And scratch your messy head of hair,' he added. 'You are like Ryūku, is that why you guys became friends easily?'

'We are not friends,' L replied, with deadpan remoteness, his eyes hardening at the thought.

Ryūk chuckled. 'Why are you denying our friendship? It is great that another human can also see me - we became friends easily, Light-o.'

'Don't listen to him, Light-kun,' L ordered.

Light blinked at him slowly. 'How can I not listen to him? He is speaking and I have ears, do you want me to cover them? I would not do that - it is very childish and silly.'

Ryūk chortled. 'He just doesn't want you to know about how we bonded with a cup of tea and slice of coffee cake,' he said, seriously. Ryūk could not even believe that he knew what a coffee cake was. 'When you were asleep, under the moonlight.'

Light's eyes sparkled, inspiring Ryūk some more.

'Don't believe him, Light-kun,' L said. The moon was a thin slice, how could the moonlight filter through all the electric lights? Ryūk was obviously talking lies.

'We told each other stories, and he baked another cake when we finished eating the other one. He told me of the time he fell out of a tree and broke his arm, I told him of the time I fell off my bicycle and skinned my knees.'

Light's jaw had slackened and he had totally ignored L's words. L eyed the drool gathering with distaste, the boy's mouth was hovering over his chair, right beside his toes! L glared at the shinigami, who was sitting on the keyboard of his computer and looking like a frog who found the swarm of mosquitoes.

L was forming a bad habit of calling others frogs after Light had called him one.

Plus, for your own information, Ryūk, I am an expert at climbing trees. Wait, Ryūk knew how to ride a bicycle?

'Then we exchanged secrets,' Ryūk told. 'He told me about the girl he kissed, one time like this.'

'Ewww,' Light exclaimed, scooting back and away from L. 'Sir Ryū kissed a girl! E-uwwww.'

L wanted to roll his eyes, instead, he glanced slyly at the creature. 'Hmm, I wonder if we actually need all those apples,' he "mused" out loud. 'It might be more worthwhile to replace them with a more diverse variety of fruits.'

Ryūk froze and stopped storytelling. He had once tried eating other fruits, when he had finished all the available apples, and (oh, apples) how horrible the experience had been! That thin, long banana one - bad, especially the green ones. The round citrus fruits - bitter!! The peach had been too peachy. To shorten it all up, Ryūk was never going to raid the fruit bowl for anything other than apples again.

Apples were the best. Pointe Finale.

'Ehehehe,' Ryūk chuckled nervously. 'Weren't you hungry, Light-o?'

'Oh, yes, I was,' Light said with realization.

L wanted to groan - of course, Ryūk couldn't resist paying him back for that threat.

'Sir,' Light said, his eyes impatient. 'I.. I am hungry.'

L sighed, resigning himself to feeding the kid, and let his legs drop, standing up. A sudden idea struck the detective at the moment. Halting for a moment, he thought about it for a second and finally decided to extend a pale hand out to the boy. He had seen somewhere (the television) that it showed comradeship.

Light scooted away further, his lips pinching together in some sort of grimace. His brow losing its usual glow.

'Cooties!' he squeaked. 'Stay away!'

Cooties? L deadpanned. Do not tell me he actually believed Ryūk's stupid story? L eyed the boy, his brain providing the obvious answer. He did.

'You'll get Cooties only if I kiss you,' L explained. 'Does Light-kun wish to kiss me?'

'Eww, no!' Light shrieked, his cheeks darkening.

'Then just accept the help, dummy,' L grumbled. The kids at Whammy's fought over getting a handshake from him, and here was Light Yagami refusing a hand he held out willingly. Who did that?

Light hesitated for a moment. 'Of course, I know that,' he said, sniffing. 'I am just taking some precau - precau.. precaution.'

Ryūk, wings spread, floated into the scene, laying horizontally and eyeing L critically. He watched as Light accepted the offered hand and stood up, grabbing the hand with both of his own small ones and bringing it close to his cheek.

'Hey, Light-o,' he called, feeling mischievous. 'What do you say, I carry you to the food room - kitchen, I mean?'

Light's eyes shone, his eyes landing on Ryūk's wings, and immediately released L's hand, skipping forth to the creature enthusiastically. He lifted his arms and jumped twice. 'Up!'

He didn't even spare L a second (not even a first) thought.

'How about I carry you,' L butted in. 'You'd like that, wouldn't you?'

The boy stopped, tilting his head in thought, his socked feet shuffling uncertainly and a doubtful glint in his eyes.

L opened his arms generously.

Light looked back and forth between the two, trying to decide on who was the better choice. Ryūzaki had colder limbs than Ryūk, who was just lukewarm, but the area surrounding his chest was nice and heated. Light disliked cold things. The boy put a finger to his chin, still undecided. His warm eyes rolled to Ryūk's. Ryūk smelt like apples that had just began fermenting too much - very sweet, something that did not bother him and Ryūzaki smelt like vanilla - Light was not a huge fan of vanilla. Ryūk had wings that could fly and Ryūzaki walked, dragging or shuffling his feet. The choice was suddenly very clear.

Light grinned widely at Ryūk, his smile even sweeter than the one he usually offered swooning girls.

L, feeling extremely kicked aside, watched quietly as Ryūk grasped the back of Light's shirt and hauled Light up into the air. 'Alley-op!'

Light giggled, his face bright with happiness. 'Look, I'm flying, Ryū!'

L soured when Ryūk sent him a snapping chuckle. Yeah, flying.. yahoo.

**...**

The task force went searching for L and Light when they found the workplace empty, coming across the duo in the kitchen.

Which was a mess.

It was not burned down (L didn't seem to be _THAT_ bad at cooking), but there was several pots with gooey stuff in them - onions cut in half once, carrots, meat that looked very uncooked, diced potatoes that were overcooked - placed on the table. Light was watching L measure vanilla extract into whatever he was making with a pained expression on his face.

'Sir,' Light said. 'Just make eggs like you did the other night. I do not think I can eat all these dishes.'

L looked up from his bowl. 'A growing body needs a lot of nutrients, Light-kun,' he said wisely. 'Do you wish to stay short?'

Light looked at the bread crumbs he extravagantly poured into the mix, slices of butter following after he had added a handful of caramel. L began cracking eggs, separating the egg whites from the yolks, several of them streaked with the orange of the yolks. Light flinched when L dumped a small bowl of sweet corn in while pouring liquid smoke into the mixture.

L hummed thoughtfully. 'What's left to add? Oh, right, cake mix and some milk - no wait heavy cream sounds better.'

Light's eyes widened.

'I shouldn't forget the cheese - good stuff, cheese,' he muttered expertly.

Light glanced helplessly at Ryūk, who was watching attentively (which only served to encourage L), a shiver running down his spine when L spooned in salt.

'Salt - never forget to add salt,' he said, pouring the batter into a platter. 'There is no love like one's love of salt... what a nice, wide cake pan - it'll cook faster and be easier to cut into pieces.'

He placed the platter into the oven, setting the heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. He stood up with a satisfied smirk.

'Woah, you're good at this,' Ryūk praised, quite impressed.

'Of course,' he replied.

L turned to Light, who had not began eating yet. He walked up to the boy and crossed his arms, eyeing the empty bowl.

'Light-kun will not get dessert if he doesn't eat his lunch first,' he said, taking a ladle and spooning the food into the boy's bowl.

Light's stomach growled.

Well, if he is hungry, then why is he not eating? L gave him a puzzled look, before realizing something. 'I forget that Light-kun is not familiar with foreign cuisine. This is one of the various English stews - here, I'll help you.'

The Chief's jaw dropped when the man grabbed a (too big) spoon and spooned some chunks of meat and a dice of potato up, holding it enticingly in front of Light's mouth.

Light's cheeks paled drastically, but he forced a smile, trying to find a way to politely decline. 'It is.. it is..' he began. 'I am not that hungry after all, Sir Ryū.'

His stomach growled.

Light paled some more, the area between his brows almost blue. 'It is.. ah, too hot.'

He blinked up at L, his eyes wider than usual. Light did not want to eat that.

L brought it up to his face and blew on it gently. 'Here, problem solved.'

Light's eyes ran across the room, panicked, the bright orbs halting on his father and he got a sudden idea.

'Cooties!' he exclaimed with horror, jerking backwards.

'What?' the Task force murmured.

Light scrambled off the chair and to his father's leg, hugging the Chief's thigh desperately. That spoon smelt terrible.

Aizawa, having understood the word, asked the boy, 'Cooties?'

Light nodded convincingly, his eyes wide and his face solemn. 'Sir Ryū has cooties! and he blew them onto the spoon and food and everything,' he explained. 'He is going to infect me.'

L watched, his expression not even twitching.

'But Ryūzaki is a boy,' Matsuda countered. 'He can't give you cooties.'

Light shook his head. 'Nuh, huh, he kissed a girl, he has them, a lot of them!'

Ryūk huffed. 'Ha! Plus it was on the lips, Light-o. With the tongue and all that.'

Light's nose scrunched up. 'Ewww~ It was on the lips, and with the tongue and all that?'

L glared at Ryūk.

'The cooties are probably flying everywhere each time he talks!' Light said, burying his face into the Chief's leg. 'All the germs.'

Chief Yagami had another concern all together. 'You saw him do it?' he asked.

'No,' Light answered. 'I was told about it.'

The man's eyes slowly settled on the detective standing across from them, still clutching the spoon of L-Stew. 'Ryūzaki-san,' he called, his voice a low timbre.

L grunted nonchalantly, his insides squirming.

'You were telling my son about kissing,' he said deliberately. 'And now you are trying to poison him with your sorely lacking culinary skills?'

'No,' he said, flatly. 'I was not, and I am not. Light-kun was listening to Misa-Misa rant into her phone.'

Speaking of which, Misa must be quite clear of all suspect by now..

The Chief sighed, his hand landing on Light's head. 'I think that the stew you made is quite inedible, Ryūzaki.'

'I haven't had lunch, father,' Light informed. 'And all there is to eat is not real food. Plus, I do not want to disturb Watari-oji - Sir Ryū suffers him a lot.'

'Oh~' Ryūk crowed. 'What are you going to do? Cook some more?'

L thought about it for a second.

Then, stalking forth to stop in front of the Yagami, he said, 'We are going to eat out - I would rather not have a sick Light-kun in the building.'

'I thought you said that no one must know that it is Raito!' Matsuda argued.

L did not even glance at him. 'Not many people know, or recall, what Light-kun looks like. And people are less likely to question it if Light goes out with me.'

'I guess that makes sense,' the Chief said. 'It is not like as if Ryūzaki is going to start telling people about Raito.'

'Exactly. We are just going to walk to a restaurant nearby and get Rai-chan something good to eat.'

'Make sure it's not cake,' the Chief said. 'Or cheesecake.'

'It's a nice little resto with Chefs from Hattori.' L's voice tone made it hard to predict if he was lying or telling the truth. 'I think Light-kun will be just fine.'

...

Late I know. My uncle thought it would be great if I moved back to England and took my classes online, because I'd be "safer" from the Coronavirus here.

Home in Sussex is as dull as ever guys, it's hard to feel motivated when everything around you is lacklustre-like. But my friend convinced her parents the same and I've been looking forward to having company - thus the update. Trust me, gossiping ladies and pets are not grand motivation.

Stay safe, guys.


End file.
